School's Summer Harvest Benefits Seniors

The following article was published on the RUSD website this summer. Here it is, just in case you missed it.

Riverside senior citizens are benefiting from the hard work of Emerson Elementary School's young "farmers" this summer as they enjoy a harvest of fresh tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, summer squash and more...all free of charge. School children planted the produce in the spring in the large Eastside Community Garden, located on the Emerson campus. During the school year, teachers incorporate the garden into standards-based instruction. Fruits and vegetables from the garden are included in school lunches.
This summer, volunteers working with the Riverside Parks and Recreation Department have been harvesting produce that might otherwise have been wasted to share with the nearby Stratton Senior Center.Seniors are welcome to take their pick from the bounty. Some days, volunteers have delivered as much as 35 pounds of vegetables to the senior center. The donations have become so popular that seniors have been asking for more. "They love getting the vegetables," noted Harold Ross, Recreation Services Coordinator for the Stratton Center. Occasionally, there's even a bouquet of fresh roses or gladiolas grown in the garden for ladies who spend time at the Senior Center.
Principal John McCombs said the summer harvest is a great way to share the garden with the community."When we first started the Community Garden seven years ago, that was an important part of the vision...to help those in need."The partnership with the city is beneficial to the school as well, McCombs noted. The volunteers -- assigned to the garden as part of a senior work training program -- weed and water plants, helping the garden to thrive in summer months when most staff and students are away from campus on vacation.
Eleven-year-old James Jimenez is attending summer school at Emerson and during the year is active with the Emerson "Green Team." He said he enjoys working in the Emerson garden. He spent a recent July morning filling his arms with fresh vegetables."It gets you out of the classroom; gets you some fresh air," James said. It's even better to get to share the harvest, he said."We like the seniors a lot," James said. "We are friends with them and we like to be generous."