Rome wasn't built in a day – but a community garden can be.
Participants in an award-winning initiative created a 35-plot community garden at Bethany Newton United Church Saturday, with the help of dozens of volunteers, including 30 employees from Telus.
Cheered on by Surrey Panorama MLA Stephanie Cadieux, the volunteers, part of the Can You Dig It (CYDI) initiative, turned 250 wood planks, 80 yards of soil and two truckloads of woodchips into a garden that will allow participants to grow their own food and give back some to the Surrey food bank.
CYDI, hosted by host organization PosAbilities – dedicated to helping children and adults with developmental disabilities lead meaningful and healthy lives – has already created 25 similar garden hubs in Metro Vancouver communities.
The Newton garden is planned to involve a broad range of community members, including youth, seniors and those who may be economically disadvantaged.
Locating the garden at Bethany United was a natural choice, Rev. John Miller said in a news release.
"The church was interested in joining the project as part of its goal to be more relevant to the community, both from a faith and practical perspective," Miller said.