Residents of the Chor Bishop Eid Apartments on Quequechan Street and the Cottell Heights Apartments on Pleasant Street in the Flint have begun to harvest the vegetables that they have grown in their community gardens. Both groups posed for photos on August 12, 2015 to show how their gardens are growing and yielding terrific vegetables that they are sharing with the residents of their respective apartment buildings and with others. “I just love feeding people,” states Katie Goldman who started the Bishop Eid garden last year and works on the garden with help from the other residents. She gives away the produce to those in need, especially people with diabetes who need to be eating good food. Thanks to a project initiated by Mass in Motion Fall River Coordinator Julie Kelly and Master Gardener instructor Lydia Silva from UMass-Dartmouth, George and other residents now have an opportunity to grow their own vegetables in plots constructed on the property by YouthBuild with the assistance of the Fall River Housing Authority. Now that the garden is producing more than the gardeners can consume, they each give vegetables away to the other residents. In a few years, some of the blueberry bushes and fruit trees planted as part of the project will also be producing good food at no cost to the residents. Click here for a two-minute video of the residents. The Harvest Community Garden and the Rotary Garden at Bristol Community College also provide produce to local food pantries. For more information contact Julie Kelly at 508-324-2405

(Top row) Katie Goldman, Catherine Generux, Janice Gonsalves, William Peacock, Aniah and Kamden pose for a photo in front of the Bishop Eid garden, and Germaine Moniz, Henda Plosker and George Burton pose in front of their garden at Cottell Apartments. (Middle row, left and right) George Burton talks with residents Germaine Moniz and Alcede Fernandes about how well their garden is doing. (Middle row, center) Two small watermelons grow in the Bishop Eid garden. (Bottom row) Tomatoes and other vegetables grow at the Harvest garden, left, and the Rotary garden at Bristol Community College.