Last May, at my suggestion, the Peace and Social Concerns Committee invited a group of young people from Dorchester to visit this area, including worshipping with us on Sunday Morning. They are from the Codman Square Health Center located in a lower and middle income community with a rich diversity of Afro-American, West Indian, Caucasian, and a small population of Latino and Vietnamese families. They belong to the Bold (Breath Of Life: Dorchester) Teen program which is a teen led and oriented program in environmental studies.
As part of their neighborhood improvement, they volunteer weekly at the Farmers' Market at the Health Center. Their involvement spawned interest in farming and seeing where the food they help sell comes from. They came for a weekend to see our area, get hands on farming exposure and meet people who are producing their food. They spent time at Silverbrook and Alderbrook farms, traveled the Allen's Pond trails with Peter, and had lots of great food with Friends. Their connection to us, to our land and to our area made itself evident at a recent neighborhood council meeting in Dorchester where these teenagers eloquently explained the farmers' market and why it was important, with depth and understanding beyond their years.
I would encourage Friends to travel with our Farm to the Dorchester market any Thursday from June 25 to the end of October to participate in this remarkable event and reconnect with the folks there.
Andy