“Heads up, heads up, here comes the board,” yells a Rutland High School student to other students in their workshop as they work hard on a project that will make a difference in the lives of  Brookdale Resource Center residents.  

“They were ready to jump in and participate, some even asking if they could volunteer outside of school and work in the garden,” said Andy Reeves, Agricultural Teacher & FFA Advisor. “Our job in the Pathways is to teach them to be good stewards, to be good students, to be good college kids…to just be good.”

For the past week, they have been building the raised garden beds for The Gardens at Brookdale. They designed them, set up the templates, and organized themselves in groups to build them as quickly as possible. It was an effective team-building project that will go even further to help others in need. 

“It’s a good way to build life skills, from the building aspect to using math in real life. It’s kind and thoughtful,” said 10th grade student Joan D’Aguilar. “At Rutland, we do a lot of projects to help people in need. It’s our school’s niche.”

Students are building 49 garden beds with wood donated by Warren Associates, Inc. Our Parks and Beautification Department has already picked up almost all of the beds from the school to place behind the Resource Center and fill with dirt and fertilizer. Thursday afternoon, they were joined by volunteers to spread mulch between the beds as a walkway.   

Macon-Bibb County, United Way of Central Georgia (UWCG), the Bibb County School District, and the Bibb County Cooperative Extension are partnering to plant a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs that will provide fresh food for the residents at Brookdale. This won’t be possible without volunteers and a part-time employee taking care of the garden.  

“It truly takes a community to make a difference,” said Mayor Lester Miller. “I am so proud of everyone who has already stepped up to help with this feeding initiative, especially the younger generation. Once this project takes off, they’ll be able to look back and know they were part of something great that benefitted so many people.”  

If you would like to volunteer, click here.