Community garden helps battle food instability in High Point

By Ryan, October 7, 2015

By Devon Wilkinson, Staff Writer//

For people in parts of the city of High Point, the term “food desert,” or an area where it is problematic to buy fresh produce, is all too familiar. In the hopes to change this, a new project was created.
The Bountiful Harvest Community Garden has been an ongoing project for quite some time for members of both the High
Point community and High Point University. After two years of planning, the ground breaking ceremony took place on Oct. 24 at in the West End neighborhood of High Point.
The overcast skies and spitting rain didn’t deter the residents of the High Point community from coming out to the occasion. Men and women from all over the city came together to witness this monumental event. Different stands held free food and crafts for the kids.
“We are glad to know that this, what is happening today, is because people working together. Though there have been plenty of times that we have failed, this is one of those moments that we are doing right, and we are so grateful that we can come together to do something great for our community,” Reverend Jim Summey said.
High Point’s mayor Bill Bencini and Summey, along with others highly involved in the project then proceeded, to dig to symbolize the start of planting the garden.
The goal of this community garden goes much deeper than just bringing the public together, however. According to J.L. Boyd, a High Point police officer, money is tight for a large number of families living in High Point.
Not only are healthy options more expensive than processed food, but simply getting to a store that sells fresh fruits and vegetables can be challenging as well for the people who do not own their own source of transportation.
One of the main goals of this project is to counteract this by providing healthy foods to people in need who do not otherwise have access to them.
Though this garden is an innovative idea, it will only work if everyone gets involved. Many volunteer opportunities are available for HPU students, according to Erin Karpovich, an HPU alumna and AmeriCorps VISTA stationed at West Ministries. Volunteer opportunities include workdays in the garden and tours of other community gardens.
“The garden is also a way to reclaim and rebuild community,” said Dr. Joseph Blosser, director of service learning. “HPU is proud to partner through our financial donation, AmeriCorps VISTA and Bonner Leaders with the garden project. It shows our commitment to our neighbors in High Point and our belief in the power of a values-based education to transform our world.”
If all goes as planned, the Bountiful Harvest Community Garden will soon provide healthy fruits and vegetables to the people of the West End neighborhood, which doesn’t have nearby stores that sell fresh produce.