News Summary
The Grand Rapids Community College Garden Club, Staying RootED, organized a pot painting event to support its food pantry. Students painted pots for sale, fostering community spirit. Under new leadership, the club aims for a hunger-free campus by growing produce for the pantry and enriching student involvement through fun activities.
Grand Rapids – The Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) Garden Club, known as Staying RootED, hosted a pot painting event on July 2, as part of its ongoing efforts to support the college’s food pantry. This creative fundraiser attracted students to GRCC’s greenhouse, where they engaged in painting pots that will be sold to raise money for the club’s initiatives.
During the event, student Anastasia Benstead shared her excitement about the opportunity to paint larger pots than those used in prior events, highlighting the community spirit that such collaborative activities foster. The painted pots created during this event will be returned to the club for its fundraising efforts, contributing to a sense of belonging among participants.
The Staying RootED Garden Club was founded as an honors project in 2021 and has since revitalized its activities under the leadership of current president Lidia Lopez and her executive team. Lopez drew inspiration from her father’s experiences as a farmer, motivating her desire to deepen her involvement in community service.
The main goal of the Garden Club is to promote a “hunger-free campus” by providing fresh vegetables to GRCC’s food pantry. Currently, the club cultivates a variety of produce including snap peas, tomatoes, dill, cilantro, okra, cucumber, and pumpkins, which are grown outside the Calkins Science Center.
In addition to its current projects, the club plans to collaborate with the student government in the fall to donate pumpkins for a pumpkin carving event. This initiative is part of the club’s broader ambition to establish more regular meetings and activities throughout the fall and winter semesters, ensuring sustained engagement with the student body.
Secretary of the club, Emani Thomas, mentioned that the events held thus far have been enjoyable and have played a significant role in building community connections among participants. The club actively seeks new members, encouraging students to join for experiences filled with fun, learning, and community engagement.
Lopez has expressed a vision for the club’s future, aspiring to evolve into a community garden that can be maintained and harvested by both students and their families. This initiative aims not only to provide food resources but also to enhance community ties within GRCC. To facilitate involvement, the club has created an Instagram page along with a presence on the Raider Connect platform, offering details on how students can join and participate in their activities.
Through events like the pot painting fundraiser and ongoing gardening endeavors, the Grand Rapids Community College Garden Club is making strides towards its mission of alleviating food insecurity on campus while fostering a strong sense of community among students.
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- The Collegiate Live: GRCC’s Staying RootED Garden Club
- C & G News: Troy Garden Club Prepares for 50th Garden Walk
- GR Kids: Koetsier’s Greenhouse Grow Club
- GR Magazine: Entertainment
- Big Rapids News: Nonprofit Community Events in Mecosta County
- Wikipedia: Gardening
- Google Search: Garden Clubs
- Google Scholar: Gardening Community
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Horticulture
- Google News: Gardening Events
