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Quesada Gardens receives Grow 1,000 grant and national recognition at Board of Supervisors ceremony
Summary
San Francisco Mayor and community partners presented Quesada Gardens in Bayview-Hunters Point with a national Grow 1,000 Gardens & Green Spaces award and a $25,000 grant; community volunteers and corporate and civic partners attended the ceremony at the board meeting.
A national partnership between Scotts Miracle-Gro and the U.S. Conference of Mayors recognized and awarded Quesada Gardens with a Grow 1,000 Gardens & Green Spaces award and a $25,000 grant during a presentation that took place in conjunction with the Board of Supervisors meeting.
Mayor Lee and representatives from Scotts Miracle-Gro, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Gardening Association and community leaders praised the Bayview-Hunters Point garden as a model of neighborhood-driven greening, youth engagement and community cohesion. Jocelyn Bogan of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and a Scotts West Region representative described the Grow 1,000 initiative's aim of supporting community gardens nationwide; Scotts presented awards in five cities as part of the 2012 kickoff. The presentation included a reading of a congratulatory letter from House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.
Community members and garden founders were acknowledged at the ceremony. Annette Smith, identified by event presenters as a founding gardener, addressed the audience about the neighborhood benefits of the garden. Youth participation was highlighted when Serenity Williams, a student who had written an essay for a local contest, read from her piece about gardening and received gardening tools and a small award from the National Gardening Association.
The mayor noted prior city support, including Community Challenge grants and an Environmental Justice grant from the Department of the Environment, and thanked volunteers and nonprofit partners for long-term stewardship of the site. Organizers said the garden has hosted youth programs and serves as an outdoor learning and gathering space.
Why this matters: The national award and $25,000 grant provide both recognition and funds for stewardship and programming in a neighborhood that has used community gardening as part of local revitalization and youth engagement work. The presentation also underscores public-private partnerships between the city, corporate funders and neighborhood organizations.
Next steps: Presenters unveiled a dedication sign at the garden site and said the grant and ongoing partner support would fund garden activities and youth programming; recipients and partners will move forward with local stewardship and program implementation.
