Posted on Jan 25, 2023 | Blog,News
Shreveport Green Makes Improvements to M.L.K. Community Garden
On Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Shreveport Green welcomed local leaders and volunteers to engage in a day of service at the M.L.K. Community Garden at the corner of Dr. Martin Luther King Drive and Legardy Street in Shreveport. With a new $10,000 grant from Keep America Beautiful, Shreveport Green is able to make improvements to the garden, which grows produce for local residents experiencing food insecurity.
The Shreveport Green Staff and the Shrevecorp Americorp Team
Over the course of the day, Mayor Tom Arceneaux, 10 department heads from the City of Shreveport, and 67 volunteers constructed 17 beds, painted cinder block beds, built pathways, and collected 24 bags of litter.
Newly Elected Mayor Tom Arceneaux and Shreveport Green’s Community Garden Manager and Sustainability Director, Christopher Dupree, eyeing the progress.
“These efforts will lead to more fruits and vegetables for people in need,” said Christopher Dupree, Community Garden Manager and Sustainability Director for Shreveport Green. “The produce grown in the garden will be delivered to local food desert neighborhoods through Shreveport Green’s Mobile Market program.”
The M.L.K. Community Garden has come a long way these past few years. It was once an abandoned 1/2 acre lot, and now it is a flourishing site with an incredible purpose. In addition to growing food, the garden nourishes minds as it is used to educate people of all ages about farming and healthy eating.
The Keep America Grant is the second large grant received by Shreveport Green for the garden. In 2022, the Lowe’s Hometowns program granted Shreveport Green $25,000 for the construction of a pergola, fencing, the painting of a large storage container, and the improvement of six vegetable beds.
“We are fortunate to have continued support for the M.L.K. Community Garden from funders and the community,” said Donna Curtis, Executive Director of Shreveport Green. “This project is so meaningful and I’m so proud of how far we’ve come.”
Learn more about the M.L.K. Community Garden, Mobile Market, and other Shreveport Green initiatives at Shreveportgreen.org.
