Growing in Community A Walk in the Park

 The Allen Neighborhood Center, in partnership with City of Lansing Parks & Recreation, will install a walking path and hoop house in Hunter Park to promote healthy activity and lifestyles. The hoop house will be constructed for year-round production of vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc., and will house a neighborhood-based Community Supported Agriculture project including seasonal backyard gardening classes and a youth garden scholar program. In conjunction with neighborhood schools, a portion of the hoop house will be designated as a teaching and entrepreneurial site.

Highlights:

• The project was completed May 10, 2008.
• The project has strengthened the old neighborhoods and also formed others. The Urban Gardener Certification project began in fall of 2008; there are garden mentors at the site about three times a year; Saturday workshops take place two to four times a month; and also there has been the Garden-in-a-box project, which has brought in forty-eight boxes.
• People in the area are able to grow their own food and also tend to the gardens.
• There has been a drastic increase in safety since people are at the park constantly. The music fest is held there; the park is used by a coalition of churches; and there are summer picnics, showers, and birthday parties.
• The Allen Neighborhood Center will offer multiple community programming activities throughout Summer 2010.  Activities include: Jazz Concert at Pattengill, Work Day at Fenner, Energy Resource fair at the Allen Street Farmers Market, Gardens Galore 2010, 'Bank on Michigan' Workshop for unbanked, Fenner's Awesome Summer Camps, Everybody Reads Offerings, Michigan Summit and Mobile Pantry.  See http://www.allenneighborhoodcenter.org/ for more information.