For 2 years, I’ve contributed my time and labor to a community garden called, Happy Place. Happy Place is one of a few hundred community gardens run by the local nonprofit Urban Harvest. Urban Harvest’s mission is to transform food accessibility in the Greater Houston Area.

My mission at Happy Place is to serve the residents and broader community in Sunnyside, Houston, Texas in that same way.

My day to day work as a landscaper, paired with my studies with Urban Harvest’s organic vegetable gardening series and permaculture classes, have allowed me to share growing knowledge with community volunteers, children, university students, parents, and the elderly. The work I do for Happy Place also takes me across social media, local farmers markets, and community events as I try to broaden our reach as a community space.

My mission with the garden is to help share the beauty and importance of working with nature and having hands-on experiences with the food we eat. In my volunteering, I’m routinely inspired by the beauty of nature itself. I get so much energy from consuming and sharing the veggies and herbs that I work with and grow in our garden.

I feel our communities are disconnected from our food sources and I hope that my work rekindles the connection that our ancestors once had.

I get excited by all of the beautiful natural processes of growth and change. I learn so many life lessons in the garden from the changes of the seasons, the insects, the soil... It's all about giving what you can, embracing diversity and collaboration, accepting change, learning to let go, and being grateful for what you receive.

Come find me at my Happy Place.