At Forest Park in New Orleans, Louisiana, the community global garden has done much more than bring fresh produce and herbs to families. For Khamari, who is in the 4th grade, it has become a positive outlet, leadership opportunity, and it has transformed reading into a fun activity. Khamari has struggled with reading in school and with controlling his emotions in a group setting. Over the last year, helping in the garden has become one of Khamari’s favorite things to do, and his behavior has greatly improved as a result.
Due to his leadership and positive behavior, Khamari was recently awarded “Youth Garden Captain” status. Khamari practices his reading skills by reading the back of the seed packs to make sure that the seeds are planted correctly. He also enjoys reading all of the garden signs to the younger kids so they know what each plant is. His favorite thing to do is fill up the watering cans so participants can water the garden. When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, he responded, “if I don’t make it to the NBA, I would like to be a farmer so I can grow food for my family and give some away to people who are hungry.”
Where Khamari lives matters.
Forest Park, New Orleans, Louisiana