For Pastor Keith Edwards, nothing is more fulfilling
than helping people grow in their faith. A close second
is helping them grow nourishing vegetables with their
own hands in their own gardens.
Pastor Keith ministers to the people
at Ward Street Mission in High Point.
He presides over a diverse congregation
that represents 26 countries, including
Laos, Pakistan, Honduras and El Salvador.
One common denominator among the
congregants is an average household
income of less than $10,000 a year,
says Pastor Keith. And that’s one of
the reasons community gardens have
been such a blessing.
More Than Community Gardens.
A Community Of Gardens.
Helpedby a2013Healthy EatingEquipment
Grant from the Foundation, the Ward Street
Mission and its House Gardens Greening
Project (HGGP) have plantedmore than 300
gardens throughout High Point. The HGGP
was created in 2010 by Jeff Moran, a retired
Methodist minister who wanted to enable
those who desperately need food to grow,
enjoy and share healthy produce.
Anyone in need of a garden may
receive one. The HGGP and Ward Street
Mission deliver raised garden beds, build
them on-site, fill them with donated
compost and give each family seeds
or plants. A training garden growing at
Ward Street Mission enables community
members to learn how to plant, tend and
harvest vegetables.
Before the community gardens, some
people didn’t recognize broccoli or collards
outside the grocery aisle. Now they
educate one another about the gardens’
plentiful edibles. The training community
garden grows diverse crops, including
jalapeño peppers and Chinese vegetables,
to match the diverse population.
Ward Street Mission hosts nutrition
classes to teach people how to cook
vegetables as part of a better diet.
And every Thursday, the church serves
a free community dinner. These dinners
also reflect the cultural diversity of the
congregation and community. One night,
there might be an Asian theme. Another
night, Hispanic or Southern soul food.
The message, says Pastor Keith,
is that people can still maintain cultural
preferences and eat nutritious food.
Ward Street Mission doesn’t just
serve those in need. Students from private
High Point University often volunteer
at the church as part of their studies—
and their experiences are just as life-
altering. Pastor Keith speaks of one
volunteer who had grown up in a home
with servants and who had never
lifted a broom. Before volunteering,
she had never seen how people in poverty
struggled day to day. When she did,
she broke down in tears.
