First Presbyterian
The community garden at First Presbyterian Church represents Restore's passion for collaboration among groups in Stockton. The First Presbyterian garden started in May 2014 through the dream of a group of high school students involved in Project YES! (Youth Empowering Stockton). Project YES! is a youth empowerment group that seeks to improve health outcomes in the Magnolia Historic Neighborhood. Restore was hired to consult and oversee the creation of a community garden for Project YES!, and First Presbyterian Church offered their land for the garden. From its inception, this garden has been a beautiful picture of a city coming together to make dreams a reality. Members of the First Presbyterian congregation contribute plant starts and gardening expertise, and then families from the neighborhood take fresh produce home. Restore acts as the liaison between the church and the neighborhood. The First Presbyterian garden has been functional since September 2014, and it serves as a component of our G.E.T. Mentoring program as well as an open community green space. The hope for the garden at First Presbyterian is that it would turn into a place where families in the area can grow their own produce or have easy and free access to fresh fruits and vegetables. We also foresee having a section of the garden that is accessible to homeless or transient individuals passing through the church property.