Help Students Grow by Supporting the Learning Garden
The Salvation Army Red Shield Youth Centers offer programs focused on academics, leadership, recreation, and character development. These programs aim to help students reach their goals, develop as individuals, and learn something new every day. One such program is the Learning Garden at Sedgefield’s Red Shield Youth Center.
The garden is an outdoor classroom, teaching students about horticulture and the importance of agriculture in the Carolina region. It starts in the spring, when students prepare the garden for the upcoming season and ends in the fall with food distribution to Red Shield Youth Center students and their families. During the summer, students, like Azaria Giddens, learn how to grow and maintain produce. Ran by program manager Courtney Curry, the group is seeding, harvesting, and picking in the garden.
“I learned that plants need a lot of nutrients, help, and sun,” said Giddens. “It’s like having a little child.”
Giddens is an upcoming 8th-grade student who has been part of the Learning Garden program for two years. One of her favorite things she has grown so far is watermelon. She also enjoys sharing what the group harvests with peers and always encourages her friends to join the program.
This year, the group is growing tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, watermelon, and sunflowers. One summer, the program produced so many tomatoes that they were able to share them with the women and children at The Salvation Army’s Center of Hope shelter. Last summer, students learned about pre-refrigerative food preservation while making pickles from cucumbers they picked from the garden. However, lessons from the Learning Garden stem beyond horticulture.
“Different concepts in life can roll over into taking care of the garden,” said Curry. “We’re teaching them social and life skills on top of tending to the garden.”
Giddens says one of the most important lessons she’s learned is how to take responsibility. She is a leader in the garden by taking charge, especially by guiding her peers through tough tasks like differentiating a weed from a plant.
For the past seven years, staff at Sedgefield’s Red Shield Youth Center have dedicated their time and resources to the garden, creating a fun and educational environment for all who participate. To keep this program thriving for years to come, we invite you to help plant the potential for our youth. You can make a lasting impact by providing a financial contribution or by purchasing much-needed supplies—such as a garden hose, soil, a gazebo, and gardening tools—through our Walmart registry list. Every gift, whether monetary or in-kind, nurtures skills, opportunities, and confidence that will serve our students well beyond the garden. Those interested in donating their time by volunteering in the garden can contact Sarah Gamble.