The Garden Project
This program is in Hiatus.
From 2007 to 2020, the Garden Project served more than 500 residents of the Garrett House, a halfway house under the supervision of the NJ Department of Corrections. Women from the Garrett House contributed to the community throughout the year by growing vegetables for the community and helping to maintain a garden on the grounds of Newton Monthly Meetinghouse, a historic landmark in the center of Camden.
On Saturdays throughout the year, volunteers from the community, local Quaker meetings and the Garrett House residents planed and planted the garden and prepared and shared a simple lunch featuring produce they grew. They took part in workshops on a broad range of topics from alternatives to violence to jewelry making, memoir and poetry writing, yoga, personal survival skills and meditation.
Volunteers provided tutoring and encouraged the Garrett House residents to pursue educational and career goals. Each woman was encouraged to nurture herself by learning about good nutrition, constructive communication with others and the pursuit of hobbies and creative activities.
“The Garden Project is a place I can come on Saturdays and forget about everything that week and be treated like a human being, not judged – that means so much to us.”
