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Gardening for Kids committee asks Loma Linda for $350 to fund February 'Valentine's Garden Day' for children
Summary
An informal residents' group requested roughly $350 in city support for a Valentine's Garden Day for children on Feb. 14, proposing arts‑and‑crafts, foraging and educational activities; the council encouraged city support and asked the group to return with a post‑event report and survey results.
Melanie Hendricks, speaking for an informal residents’ group called Gardening for Kids, asked the City Council for support of a community event, Valentine’s Garden Day: Growing Roots of Love, proposed for Friday, Feb. 14, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the community garden.
Hendricks said the program targets children and families and would include a hands‑on educational craft where children make watercolors from flower petals and food items, create Valentine’s cards using foraged garden materials, and receive snacks and small prizes. She presented an itemized list of supplies and told council members an itemized budget totaled roughly $350; in her packet she also listed a figure presented verbally as $329 (the packet and verbal figures differ in the record).
Hendricks said the group measured community interest with an online pre‑registration form; she reported 34 people signed up within hours and the organizers opened a wait list. She said registrants included parents of children across age groups and that the committee’s goal for success was 20 participants.
Council members asked about capacity, safety and infrastructure; one council member asked whether the request was for funding or operational support and whether the group needed the city to provide facilities, oversight or permitting. Hendricks said the primary constraint was infrastructure and safe, designated spaces for children. Staff and council members encouraged the group and asked that organizers return after the event to present survey results and lessons learned.
City staff present (community garden coordinator Amy Jones was referenced as having provided demonstration materials) indicated there are methods for online payment and event coordination; the council did not take a formal funding vote at the meeting but signaled willingness to help facilitate the event and to consider support through city channels. The organizers were asked to come back with post‑event information on attendance and participant feedback.
The presentation closed with council members encouraging outreach to local schools and promising follow up; no formal appropriation or motion was recorded at the meeting.
