Community Gardens

In 2008, Operation New Hope donated a plot of land, located at the corner of Phelps and Spearing Streets (directions) , as the site for a community garden. The mission for the garden, dubbed the Eastside Community Garden, is to provide to members of the community access to fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs while engaging them with exercise, recreation, friendship and healthful education. The garden is meant to instill pride in the community and its citizens. And, while having turned the garden over to the community, Operation New Hope continues to showcase support for the garden through promotion of quarterly cleanups and days of beautification.

Membership to the garden is open to Eastside residents only. Registration for membership to the garden takes place from January 1–January 31. Membership is open to the first 12 enrollees, and has an annual fee of $50.

Community gardens are thriving throughout the United States and are seen as a means to enrich and beautify neighborhoods. By transforming a parcel of urban land into a green space communities enjoy more than a simple garden. For more information on the Eastside Community Garden, call 904-354-4673 or click here.

Benefits of a community garden:

• Social and family interaction
• Community Beautification
• Fresh organic produce and improved nutrition
• Therapeutic
• Recreational benefits
• Educational
• Decreased crime
• Sense of community pride