Mosaic Community Garden – Pottstown’s Hidden Jewel On Chestnut Street

Pottstown, PA – I was given a tour of the new Community Garden on Chestnut Street yesterday by Katy Jackson.  The garden was formerly a broken down playground full of weeds, drug dealers and hookers.  The school district and the borough worked with Mosaic to make this project happen.  It is now a source of pride and a stabilizing factor in the neighborhood.

The large space was cleared and has been subdivided into 34 individual plots that people are using to grow their own vegetables.  There is also a flower garden near the front entrance, a patio area and a common gathering area in the rear.  An amphitheater is being constructed for lectures and programs.  There is a shed full of tools, three hoses for water and several adult and child picnic tables.  In addition, there is a composter in the rear of the property that will be brought back into working order so that gardeners can all contribute to the communal composter.

There is an educational component to the garden as well as the ability to grow one’s own food.  There is art programming at the garden this summer in conjunction with the Olivet Boys & Girls Club/Ricketts Center.  20-25 children are attending.  The children have painted the benches the past three Thursday mornings and this Thursday they are gathering at the garden to paint bird houses.

There is special kids pizza garden and a middle school garden.

People are harvesting green beans, lettuce, yellow squash and tomatoes.

This Saturday, July 14^th, there is a composting workshop at the garden.  Lectures will be given on traditional composting and worm composting.  This workshop runs from 9am to 11am.  The presenters will be Laura Washington and Scott Winter.

Future plans include selling produce grown from the garden and additional community garden sites being added in Pottstown.  There are many volunteers who have put hours of sweat equity into making this garden a huge success.  They should all be commended!

For more information about the tremendous project, click here: http://pottstownclt.wordpress.com/

MCCC West Campus Culinary Student Pays It Forward In Pottstown With Meals Program

Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here is some excellent Pottstown news! 

A culinary student at Montgomery County Community College‘s West Campus in Pottstown is doing something to help the struggling residents of Pottstown by offering a free meal to those in need!

It’s so gratifying to see young people get involved with the community!   They bring such enthusiasm and energy to the table! Many times they think of great solutions to problems because they have the ability to think outside the traditional “box”.

This young woman needs your help and here is her story –

A Pottstown local, Julia Zion, MCCC culinary student, recently reached out to the folks of Occupy Pottstown and offspring groups, to request a little help with a very cool community project she has just started.  It’s called Wednesday Night Community Meals.  This is a pretty simple, yet powerful idea, and it goes like this:

Every Wednesday through August Julia provides a meal at the little park at Washington and Chestnut Streets in Pottstown at 7 PM.  Food and drinks are brought in and served and tables and chairs need to get to and from the playground at Zion Church.  The meal is open to the community, but is intended for those who may not have a lot of food to put on their tables now, etc.  She has had about 18 people attend the meals, but plans for up to 30.  One of Julia’s desires is to give some Pottstown folks a hand-up via a good meal.  Period.  Simple, right?

Julia is looking for some local groups to take this project on with her through the summer.  Julia could really use some volunteers and food to be donated for this Wednesday, June 27th.  But on any Wednesday during the summer, Julia can use all the help she can get!

This would be a great project for churches, scout groups, service organizations, local corporations etc…

If you would like to donate food, money or your time, please contact this amazing young woman at juliazion@ymail.com.  She would LOVE to hear from you!

Pottstown’s MOSAIC Community Land Trust Highlights Successes, Goals

Editor’s note:  Here’s some nice press from the Fishwrap about Mosaic Community Land Trust.

POTTSTOWN, PA — The   Mosaic Community Land Trust    means many things to many people.

To most, it means the newly established community garden.To others, it means an art gallery and Open Mic Nights at the group’s 10 S. Hanover St. headquarters.

But if its plans pan out, the land trust may also soon mean “the people who sold us our house.”From the beginning, Executive

Director Sue Repko told borough council during a recent work session, the group has targeted the core neighborhood in Pottstown, which it defines as being bounded by Hanover Street to the west, Beech Street to the north, North Adams Street to the east and High Street to the south.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20120614/NEWS01/120619673/pottstown-s-mosaic-community-land-trust-highlights-successes-goals&pager=full_story