Though the fall semester had already officially ended, CFACT campus representative Trenten Rippy of the University of Science and Arts Oklahoma didn’t let that stop him from spreading some Christmas cheer and giving back to his community over his winter break.
Teaming up with local charity Chickasha Soup Kitchen, Trenten and his CFACT chapter gathered on a brisk winter afternoon in a grassy lot behind the kitchen to build an urban gardening center that will serve as the charity’s primary source of vegetables and herbs for years to come. According to Trenten, besides wanting to get into the holiday spirit, their goal was to “demonstrate the effectiveness of organized private charity vs wasteful government programs.” Armed with shovels, rakes, and “can do” attitudes, these fine gentlemen got to work to help those less fortunate with enthusiasm.
Working alongside kitchen staff, our collegians spent the day pushing wheelbarrows, laying mulch, digging holes, assembling garden beds, and preparing the grounds for the coming spring. As daylight began to fade, their work was done. Thanks to generosity of these young men, many impoverished Oklahomans in the surrounding area will now have access to fresh, local produce.
Tired, but energized by the feeling of helping others, Trenten had this to say reflecting on his experience: “These gardens will not only serve the hungry, but also our local environment by providing a habitat for pollinators. It will also reduce the soup kitchen’s fuel costs of transporting produce by growing it locally instead. Projects such as this promote space efficient ways to conserve our environment rather than expansionary projects such as wind/solar farms that invade pre-existing habitats.”
