Wilmington has a history of crime, drugs and homelessness. I moved here six years ago, and at first glance, I didn't think it was a place that I could see myself staying in. However, I noticed that the downtown region was trying desperately to breathe new life into the city by investing in arts and culture. In my first year here, the notorious Queen Theater was being revitalized by partnering with World Cafe Live and wxpn. Then the Fringe Festival came the following year. Wilmington was finally becoming a place that people not only wanted to come to, but invest in. Our little city is still growing, but it's taking new shape into something beautiful.
My church is planted in Wilmington's Cool Springs neighborhood, and a few of us belong to the neighborhood association. Two years ago during one of the meetings, the leaders advised that the mayor had granted us the opportunity to have a community garden in the local, untouched green space known as Rodney Reservoir. I am unsure if the leaders knew exactly how amazing this endeavor would turn out to be, but I am so glad that they pursued it. It started with 20 garden plots for $25 each. The cost covered the wooden frame, the dirt and the key to the gated entrance. There is such a demand that there are now 45 plots available! The demand is not only for the space, but moreover the community that is formed out of a centralized affection for gardening. This platform has brought us, the cold and aloof Northeast, out of our homes and together as a community that supports each other. When such a foundation is put in place, good things grow from it.
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