6 Word Story About My Brain...

Nurturing Imagination: Creating My Mind Masterpiece!

Day of Missions and Service: CASA Community Garden

Trinity United Methodist held "Day of Missions and Service" yesterday: I chose the CASA Community Garden as my project in which to participate. Yes, it was hot and there really were a lot of weeds in the sweet potatoes before we got started, but I, along with the other fifteen or so workers, enjoyed a day full of good stories, furthered relationships, and hard work!

CASA (Care Assurance System for the Aging) has many programs, including the garden, which is probably the oldest community garden in the area. Shawn, the Garden Manager, has been working with the garden since September: Having a staff person has paid off in both garden upkeep and volunteer coordination. Volunteer hours include Tuesday and Thursday mornings 8:00 - 11:00 am and Saturday from 8:00 am - 12:00 noon. Shawn also said they may need to begin a Monday sorting and delivery of produce, so the Garden will be looking for volunteers to facilitate this service. For more information, call the CASA office at (256) 533-7775.

Gardens, Gardens, Gardens...

Saturday was the Tennessee Valley Community Garden Open House: I thoroughly enjoyed visiting several of the gardens on the tour. Not only was I impressed by the beauty and productivity of each garden, but I also gleaned lots of ideas for when we start planning the gardens for each of the communities of the Athens Housing Authority! A BIG Thank you to the following gardens for their hospitality and for sharing their experiences:

• Manna House Garden
• UAH Community Garden
• Asbury Community Garden
• Deep Roots of Alabama
• Spring Branch Garden
• Flying Monkey Community Garden

I look forward to watching you all GROW!

Interfaith Mission Service: Daybreak in Alabama

Interfaith Mission Service of Huntsville, Alabama, has launched a new educational series called "Daybreak in Alabama". Short films, one-session overviews, and multi-session study guides are becoming available upon completion to be used with small groups to look at, explore, and act upon several different social justice issues. Topics include:

• Church and State
• Deliberative Decision Making
• Predatory Lending
• Food Security
• Affordable Housing
• Mental Health
• Educational Reform
• Capital Punishment/Death Penalty
• Alabama Constitutional Reform
• Maternal Health
• Tax Reform
• Immigration
• Health Reform

For further info: www.interfaithmissionservice.org

Daybreak in Alabama

When I get to be a composer

I’m gonna write me some music about

Daybreak in Alabama

And I’m gonna put the purtiest songs in it

Rising out of the ground like a swamp mist

And falling out of heaven like soft dew

I’m gonna put some tall tall trees in it

And the scent of pine needles

And the smell of red clay after rain

And long red necks

And poppy colored faces

And big brown arms

And the field daisy eyes

Of Black and white black white black people

And I’m gonna put white hands

And black hands and brown and yellow hands

And red clay earth hands in it

Touching everybody with kind fingers

And touching each other natural as dew

In that dawn of music when I

Get to be a composer

And write about daybreak

In Alabama.

                        ~Langston Hughes