Carved Pumpkin Contest Oct. 28

How Does Your Garden Grow?

The following is an article written by Lori Singer, a volunteer writer  ​for​ ​Valley​ ​United​ ​Way:
 

The​ ​enthusiasm​ ​was​ ​infectious​ ​and​ ​tangible​ ​as​ ​residents​ ​came​ ​together​ ​a​ ​little while​ ​ago​ ​in​ ​the​ ​evening​ ​to​ ​celebrate​ ​the​ ​flourishing​ ​community​ ​gardens​ ​planted​ ​there​ ​this​ ​past​ ​May. 

The​ ​Valley​ ​United​ ​Way’s​ ​program,​ ​“Grow​ ​Your​ ​Own”​ ​spearheaded​ ​by​ ​Susan​ ​Meek​ ​and​ ​followed by​ ​Brian​ ​Rich,​ ​consists​ ​of​ ​numerous​ ​garden​ ​beds--surrounded​ ​by​ ​picket​ ​fences--in​ ​Gatison​ ​Park​ ​and​ ​Pine Lot,​ ​both​ ​in​ ​Ansonia,​ ​CT.​ ​These​ ​neighborhoods​ ​were​ ​chosen​ ​as​ ​an​ ​ongoing​ ​effort​ ​to​ ​help​ ​low-income residents​ ​fight​ ​food​ ​insecurity​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Valley​ ​and​ ​provide​ ​more​ ​nutritious​ ​food​ ​for​ ​their​ ​families.

Echoing​ ​the​ ​positive​ ​sentiment,​ ​Valley​ ​United​ ​Way​ ​President​ ​Sharon​ ​Gibson​ ​said,​ ​“Valley​ ​United Way​ ​is​ ​excited​ ​to​ ​offer​ ​the​ ​garden​ ​program​ ​to​ ​our​ ​Valley​ ​communities.” 

The​ ​key​ ​word​ ​is​ ​“community”​ ​as​ ​residents​ ​came​ ​out​ ​in​ ​droves-many​ ​discovering​ ​the​ ​gardens​ ​and produce​ ​were​ ​for​ ​them​ ​for​ ​the​ ​first​ ​time.​ ​Wide​ ​eyes​ ​and​ ​big​ ​smiles​ ​became​ ​commonplace​ ​as​ ​the​ ​news spread.​ ​Many​ ​residents​ ​asked​ ​for​ ​tours​ ​and​ ​were​ ​given​ ​bags​ ​to​ ​search​ ​for​ ​fresh​ ​veggies​ ​that​ ​were​ ​ripe​ ​for picking:​ ​cherry​ ​tomatoes;​ ​three​ ​different​ ​types​ ​of​ ​lettuce;​ ​green​ ​peppers;​ ​squash;​ ​chard;​ ​cabbage; cucumbers;​ ​eggplant;​ ​and​ ​many​ ​more,​ ​plus​ ​herbs​ ​to​ ​accent​ ​and​ ​give​ ​flavor​ ​to​ ​their​ ​meals:​ ​basil;​ ​sage; rosemary;​ ​cilantro;​ ​thyme​ ​and​ ​parsley. 

 “I​ ​live​ ​right​ ​next​ ​to​ ​Pine​ ​Lot​ ​and​ ​I​ ​thought​ ​this​ ​garden​ ​was​ ​just​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Boys​ ​and​ ​Girls​ ​Club.​ ​I clicked​ ​like​ ​and​ ​share​ ​on​ ​facebook​ ​and​ ​headed​ ​down​ ​here​ ​right​ ​away!,”​ ​said​ ​Rhonda​ ​Rossik.​ ​She​ ​added, “I​ ​can​ ​get​ ​the​ ​girl​ ​scouts​ ​involved​ ​too!,”​ ​as​ ​she​ ​walked​ ​through​ ​the​ ​garden​ ​sharing​ ​her​ ​knowledge​ ​and enthusiasm​ ​with​ ​others​ ​who​ ​were​ ​deciding​ ​what​ ​they​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​pick​ ​for​ ​dinner.  

Cherry​ ​tomatoes​ ​were​ ​by​ ​far​ ​the​ ​most​ ​popular​ ​vegetable.​ ​At​ ​Gatison​ ​Park,​ ​Maya,​ ​her​ ​two​ ​sisters Ramona​ ​and​ ​Tiffany​ ​Wright​ ​and​ ​their​ ​children​ ​come​ ​to​ ​the​ ​garden​ ​often.​ ​“We​ ​go​ ​here​ ​everyday​ ​picking carrots​ ​and​ ​grape​ ​tomatoes​ ​and​ ​eating​ ​them,”​ ​she​ ​said.​ ​Jazmiah,​ ​Ramona’s​ ​7-year-old​ ​daughter​ ​“loves vegetables”​ ​and​ ​Tiffany’s​ ​daughter,​ ​5-year-old​ ​Kaylynn​ ​“loves​ ​gazpacho!” 

Another​ ​Gatison​ ​Park​ ​resident​ ​who​ ​frequents​ ​the​ ​garden​ ​is​ ​Malika​ ​Mosely.​ ​She​ ​has​ ​an 11-year-old​ ​daughter​ ​and​ ​walks​ ​by​ ​in​ ​the​ ​morning,​ ​afternoon​ ​and​ ​the​ ​evening​ ​on​ ​her​ ​way​ ​home​ ​from work.​ ​“I​ ​usually​ ​look​ ​for​ ​the​ ​lettuce,​ ​cucumbers​ ​and​ ​tomatoes,”​ ​she​ ​said. 

And​ ​what​ ​would​ ​a​ ​block​ ​party​ ​be​ ​without​ ​Domino’s​ ​pizza,​ ​an​ ​ice​ ​cream​ ​truck​ ​and​ ​a​ ​special​ ​arts and​ ​crafts​ ​project​ ​for​ ​the​ ​children?​ ​Plus​ ​chef​ ​Audra​ ​Weisel,​ ​who​ ​had​ ​stiff​ ​competition​ ​from​ ​the​ ​pizza​ ​and ice​ ​cream,​ ​but​ ​was​ ​up​ ​to​ ​the​ ​task.​ ​Happily​ ​she​ ​handed​ ​out​ ​samples​ ​of​ ​her​ ​healthy​ ​cooked​ ​tomatoes, asparagus,​ ​zucchini​ ​and​ ​other​ ​fresh​ ​veggies​ ​along​ ​with​ ​the​ ​recipes​ ​for​ ​cooking​ ​them​ ​in​ ​their​ ​own​ ​homes. 

Weisel​ ​has​ ​a​ ​long​ ​history​ ​of​ ​helping​ ​out​ ​low-income​ ​families​ ​and​ ​started​ ​digging​ ​and​ ​planting​ ​for “Grow​ ​Your​ ​Own“​ ​this​ ​past​ ​May.​ ​“I’m​ ​happy​ ​to​ ​lend​ ​my​ ​expertise​​ ​i​n​ ​any​ ​way,​ ​shape​ ​or​ ​form,”​ ​she​ ​said. Quickly​ ​adding​ ​whether​ ​that​ ​means,”teaching​ ​them​ ​how​ ​to​ ​can​ ​their​ ​vegetables​ ​or​ ​learning​ ​how​ ​to​ ​cook them.”​ ​She​ ​is​ ​hoping​ ​“they​ ​will​ ​try​ ​something​ ​new​ ​…​ ​and​ ​like​ ​it!”  

“Grow​ ​Your​ ​Own”​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of​ ​Valley​ ​United​ ​Way’s​ ​projects.​ ​With​ ​a​ ​third​ ​garden​ ​already​ ​planted​ ​at Irving​ ​School​ ​in​ ​Derby,​ ​the​ ​program​ ​is​ ​expecting​ ​to​ ​expand​ ​next​ ​year,​ ​including​ ​more​ ​locations​ ​and getting​ ​more​ ​of​ ​the​ ​community​ ​involved.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​possible​ ​thanks​ ​to​ ​the​ ​generosity​ ​of​ ​our​ ​premiere sponsor,​ ​Avan​ ​Grid,​ ​plus​ ​Newtown​ ​Savings​ ​Bank​ ​and​ ​Lavietes​ ​Foundation. 

The​ ​Valley​ ​United​ ​Way​ ​is​ ​a​ ​nonprofit​ ​organization​ ​with​ ​other​ ​projects​ ​and​ ​events​ ​happening simultaneously​ ​to​ ​fulfill​ ​the​ ​need​ ​of​ ​scarcity​ ​of​ ​food​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Valley.​ ​Two​ ​of​ ​Valley​ ​United​ ​Way’s​ ​signature projects,​ ​Back​ ​to​ ​School​ ​Clothes​ ​for​ ​Kids​ ​and​ ​their​ ​21st​ ​Week​ ​of​ ​Caring​ ​project-Harvest​ ​House​ ​VII,​ ​are both​ ​aimed​ ​at​ ​helping​ ​low-income​ ​kids​ ​and​ ​their​ ​families.

To​ ​volunteer​ ​or​ ​get​ ​involved​ ​with​ ​the​ ​Valley​ ​United​ ​Way,​ ​please​ ​contact:​ ​Patricia​ ​Tarasovic,​ ​Vice President​ ​of​ ​Community​ ​Engagement​ ​at​ ​(203)​ ​926-9478​ ​or​ ​visit:​ ​​www.valleyunitedway.org​.

Volunteers give Ansonia park a facelift

By Jean Falbo-Sosnovich
Register Correspondent

ANSONIA >> In just three months, a group of volunteers has helped give Gatison Park in the city’s North End a facelift the community can be proud of.

Thanks to the newly formed Friends of Gatison Park, which is comprised of 11 adult and about a dozen youth volunteers, the park has received a makeover that boasts a newly painted swing set, replacement of wood benches, freshly painted basketball hoops, addition of 200 tulip and daffodil bulbs, new mulch and more. Volunteers also have been busy weeding and ridding the park of trash.

According to Friends’ founder and city resident Tarek Raslan, there are more exciting things in store for Gatison Park, which he called one of many “pocket parks” that are “real assets” to Ansonia.

“Walking through a beautiful park can literally change one’s outlook on the world,” Raslan said. “For a young kid it’s a place to socialize with friends, perfect their pitch or jump shot and dream about the wonders of the natural world. As a community, they provide a place to come together, create together and celebrate together. In a city where a majority of residents are living on properties that are a quarter-acre or less, these parks also play a crucial role for residents to simply enjoy the outdoors.”
Read more here.