ALABAMA A&M and AUBURN UNIVERSITIES

1999 Alabama Master Gardener Volunteer of the Year Believes Volunteering is a Gift

When Jim Call is working at the Care Assurance System for the Aging (CASA) community garden in Huntsville, he often reflects on the gift of giving he learned from his father, Army Master Sergeant Granville P. Call.

Jim was only 18 months old when his mother died, leaving his father to manage a career and raise five children. Early in life Jim learned how to grow vegetables since the family depended on food from a garden to supplement their father's income.

Jim learned something of greater importance from his father -- to share from your own abundance with others who are less fortunate.

"My father always grew more than we needed and he shared the extra vegetables with others in need."

Jim is now a computer specialist with Dynetics, Inc. in Huntsville. He and his wife Gloria have three children ages 20, 17 and 13. Jim moved his family to Huntsville in 1984.

When the garden director decided to step down in 1995, Jim was asked to manage the garden. Even though Jim had grown up gardening and had always had his own vegetable garden, he applied to take the Master Gardener course, an educational program offered by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. In addition to helping Jim build on his knowledge of gardening, the Master Gardener Program opened a new avenue of volunteering for Jim, and introduced him to other Master Gardeners who were interested in getting involved with the CASA Community Garden.

Jim has joined fellow Master Gardeners on community projects such as Roadside Pride, Kids Space landscape, Habitat for Humanity and many projects at the Huntsville-Madison County Botanical Gardens.

He was selected as the 1999 Alabama Master Gardener Volunteer of the Year. Jim was nominated by the Master Gardeners of North Alabama for his many hours of volunteer service and selflessness.

Jim is proudest of the eight years he has worked with the CASA Community Garden. He never tires of managing the 80- by 200-foot garden with more than 1,000 volunteers participating, ranging from Master Gardeners and church groups, to college students and kindergarteners who have painted paper bags that are used in delivering the vegetables!

The garden has served as an avenue to engage people from all walks of life in a fun activity that gives something back to the community.

Jim is particularly proud of a new program he developed last year called the Garden Angel Program. Jim solicited the help of Master Gardeners as Garden Angels and the materials to build 4- by 8-foot raised-bed gardens at the homes of elderly clients. Garden Angels visit their clients weekly and help maintain the gardens. In addition to providing clients with fresh vegetables and daily activity, Garden Angels provide friendship and companionship to people whose days might otherwise be filled with loneliness.

The Garden Angel Program is an extension of the CASA Community Garden. Twenty Garden Angels planted gardens for elderly clients in 1998. Jim is working to establish 20 additional gardens this summer for a total of 40 gardens.

Jim admits, "I am a professional beggar!"
 
 

Each year he solicits donations for the CASA Garden and Garden Angel Program, which have included everything from plants and seeds, to water lines and materials to build the gardens.

On July 29, Jim was recognized as a Point of Light by the Points of Light Foundation. His fellow Master Gardeners asked Jim to represent Alabama and his community at the International Master Gardeners Conference "Search For Excellence" session. After making application, Jim was selected as one of eight Master Gardeners who will present their projects at the International Master Gardeners Conference in San Antonio, Texas, August 20.

Jim fondly recalls the lasting impact his father's goodwill made on his life. His only regret is that Granville P. Call, who died nine years ago, is not able to share this moment with him.

(For picture click  here.   For cutline click  here.)
 
 

SOURCE: Mary Beth Musgrove, Extension Associate, State Master Gardener Program Coordinator, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, (334) 844-5481.