Poverty is something that people are dealing with since the beginning of our existence. It is an everyday struggle for people all over the world. Those who are not poor should try their best to help the ones in need. We must do as much as we can because that is how we can little by little change the world.
One man saw an opportunity to do something for the many poor people that live around his area. What he has done changed their lives for the better.
About ten years ago, a hurricane named Katrina ruined many buildings that are now abandoned ruins. In the process of repairing them, a lot of bees had arrived at that area causing many troubles for the people there, so they didn’t have a choice except to leave the buildings in ruins.
On the other side, exterminating the bees was not a smart option since bees are very important in agriculture, being a key link in the chain of life. Therefore, David Young found a practical solution. He decided to build a garden for the bees in the Ninth Ward.
The Capstone Community Gardens project
David worked as a law enforcement officer. Now, he is retired and has the time to be a devoted volunteer who cares a lot about feeding the poor. After the hurricane, his house has been rebuilt two times. Together with other volunteers, they made the garden to be a haven for the bees. Their purpose is to produce food with the help of the bees so that they can give it to the poor.
David named his project Capstone Community Gardens and started it very soon after the end of the hurricane. There are gardens in thirty of the abandoned buildings and all of them thrive with life. There are lots of kinds of vegetables such as cucumbers, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, kale, and they are all for free.
Capstone is a small nonprofit that grows and provides food for free to those who really need it. They also offer help to those who want to start their own gardens and allow them to have a garden in their places because as they say, there is enough space available.
When people have a bee problem, they can call the Capstone Gardens to relocate the bees safely from their home to somewhere they can live without being a danger to anyone.
The garden also has its own growth control by having goats that eat the grass that is overgrown. There are chickens there too, and some of them provide eggs. Volunteers explain how they are gathering the eggs and how they bring them to the people who can’t leave their homes or those who don’t have money for food.
David Young’s vision is now a reality. His gardens can provide enough food for many poor people. Sometimes, he even brings some fresh food to the homeless people that live in a center for the homeless nearby.
