For Kumi McGuire, Friday’s United Way of the Wabash Valley’s annual Serve the Valley event wasn’t just an opportunity to help spread mulch around the fruit trees in the Indiana State University community garden. Volunteers participated.
“It’s very personal to me,” McGuire said. Her husband Jim, who was growing vegetables in one of her community garden plots, died suddenly at the age of 50 on New Year’s Day.
TribuneStar / Joseph C. Garza Multi Implementation: Union Hospital employee Angela Norting will spread the mulch on Friday at the Indiana State University Community Garden on 11th Avenue North of Terre Haute.
“I signed up here just to honor Jim, because he’s been there for many years. He was a Master Gardener, but I wasn’t. I give up the plot. I didn’t like it, so I decided to keep it with help. Go. “
She was joined by a number of volunteers from Union Health, where Jim worked as a nurse and process improvement specialist. Union Health pharmacist Mark Kielmann organized the participation of his colleagues in his yard and held a brief monument with a plaque in front of an apple tree planted in Jim’s memory. ..
“Jim was just a great person,” said Kielman, who is also responsible for quality, infection control, certification and risk management at Union Health.
TribuneStar / Joseph C. Garza Memories: This shield was dedicated to the memory of James McGuire at the ISU Community Garden on Friday.
“He gave his time to the community for hours,” Kielman said. “He grew vegetables here and donated them to food deserts and people in need. When Jim died, we wanted to commemorate him and a good way other than giving him time I decided not to. Jim’s honor. “
“I was pleasantly surprised to see the people of the Union appear with plaque,” Kumi said. “I didn’t know it would be today. Looking at Mark, he had this beautiful plaque. It was great because we hadn’t talked to each other since the funeral.”
Other volunteers spent time beautifying the exterior of West Vigo High School, maintaining the planter box at the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce in downtown, and applying playground stencils at Uabache Elementary School.
In addition to Union Health volunteers, others helping mulching the community garden had their own parcels there.
“It’s very special to me because it’s my first time serving the community for a few hours. This garden isn’t just for the ISU people. Many people work together,” said Fanzuo, a gardener in the community garden. There is a lot of power there. “
Edward Jones financial adviser Jessica Legget, who recently moved here from Arizona, said, “I have a bed in the community garden, so I’m part of the garden, so I think this is the perfect place to give back. I believe in the community it offers. “
Legget was rooted with a colleague. “We enjoy getting into the soil,” she said when Foghat’s “slow ride” was played on a nearby boombox.
Tribune-Star / Joseph C. Garza Do It: Alumni of St. Mary of the Woods College, Kimberi Payong Power will wash the bleachers on Friday at West Vigo High School as part of United Way’s Serve the Valley.
Leggette attended Arizona’s first sustainability school. She said many of the garden volunteers came from ISU’s Bluestem internship program, which aims to connect horticulture and urban agriculture with sustainability, cultural diversity and social justice.
“Such programs help us participate in community activities,” said Nana Frempong of Bluestem.
Olivia Humphrey said, “I learned a lot about gardening. Some people just touched the soil because they came in without any gardening experience. Some even never grew weeds. See crazy experiences, how things grow. Whenever you’re in this environment, and around something that’s constantly growing, how your thinking changes and how healing it is. It ’s crazy. ”
Humphrey said he had grown and donated 700 pounds of vegetables by this summer.
“We are harvesting a lot of green beans, cucumbers and peppers and we work in the Food Forest. It is donating to the United Campus Ministry of St. Benedict, a lot of the town’s charity. “Kaitlynn Voorhees added. ..
“Cooperating honestly is the biggest part. It’s great to have everyone who supports a great person who loves the garden and helps us to share his love and interests with us,” she said. Mentioned both Serve the Valley and Jim McGuire.
Union Kielman said it wasn’t just about honoring McGuire that took volunteers out on Friday.
“Every year, Union Health participates in Serve the Valley Day,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to get together, contribute to and give back to the communities we serve every day.”
You can contact David Kronke at 812-231-4232 or at david.kronke@tribstar.com.
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