AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. — In the West End community of Birmingham, Alabama, among the abandoned houses and other signs of economic hardship, stands a beacon of community hope and progress: the Sacred Space Garden. The roots of this garden run deep in the community, providing fresh produce to people living in this food desert. The impact of this garden is a reality thanks to the hard work of residents and several Alabama 4-H members, all looking to make a difference in their community.

Hands to Larger Service

From left to right: Dallas Miller, Izette McNealy and Sarah Short.

Izette McNealy is an Alabama 4-H youth development coordinator in Jefferson County. She said 4-H members dreamed up the idea for this garden when she took them to the True Leaders in Equity Institute, a 4-H conference in Washington, D.C.

“Inflation is everywhere; fresh fruits and vegetables are not,” McNealy said. “Through this project, the teens wanted to reduce food deserts in their own neighborhoods.”

Part of the 4-H pledge is that members give their hands to larger service. Jefferson County 4-H members Sarah Short, Dallas Miller, Zyion Williams and Amari Sanders have taken this to heart through their work with the garden. In addition to providing fresh produce, 4-H members and others use the garden as a teaching tool. Children and adults have visited to learn how they can grow some of the same items at home.

“For us to be able to teach people how to grow their own foods and to live a healthier lifestyle was very important to us,” Short said.

Community Partners

To get this project started, McNealy knew that the members needed help from the community. She enlisted the help of Mustafa Abdullah, a local artist who was already growing a garden in West End.

“Mustafa and I have been knowing each other for years, and what he has already done for this community has been outstanding,” McNealy said. “So, this was a perfect partnership for 4-H and Sacred Space Garden.”

Abdullah and Jane Lee started the garden to be a place to connect with nature and reduce anxiety. Abdullah said partnering with 4-H expanded the impact the garden has in the community.

“I feel so fortunate to have Izette come and bring this in line with the 4-H club,” Abdullah said.

Making a Difference

From left to right: Zyion Williams, Mustafa Abdullah and Amari Sanders

West End is one of the most populated areas of Jefferson County. Kizzi Frisby lives in the community and helps maintain the garden. In this low-income area, where many people don’t have cars and most streets don’t have sidewalks, Frisby sees the value in the garden as a local food source.

“I would love to see future food deserts look like this,” Frisby said. “When you’re walking down the street in the heat of the summer, it’s literally a grocery store out here, and it’s all free. I think this is a model for what future food deserts can turn into.”

Frisby also knows that the garden is a place where children can come to grow in many ways.

“Having 4-H members and the youth in this community involved I think is actually the biggest impact that this garden makes,” Frisby said. “Kids like playing in dirt, and when they come out here, they’re being productive. It’s teaching them responsibility and they’re learning a new skill.”

Abdullah said over three or four years, the impact of the garden has been felt by thousands of people.

“They love it,” Abdullah said. “Some tell me they ride by just to see it, just to see the flowers. It’s been quite successful.”

Looking Forward

The impact of this garden caught the attention of many people in the area, including Frank Woodson, the president and CEO of CityServe Alabama. This organization addresses community issues, such as food insecurity and poverty.

For years, Woodson said people have looked to assign blame for the cause of these food deserts. However, he thinks the bigger question is why are they still food deserts? He believes food insecurity can be remediated by connecting communities with entities like 4-H and other nonprofits.

“We’ve got a partner like 4-H that says we’ll turn more land into gardens that produce food for the community,” Woodson said. “For that reason, I’ve got half an acre of land right in the middle of a food desert that we’re going to make available through a partnership with CityServe Alabama and 4-H. The more that the community owns these spaces, the more we begin to eliminate the food deserts from the inside out.”

The planned second garden will mirror the first garden’s design. McNealy said this will be another grassroots effort. She hopes the members will obtain scholarships and grants like they did for the first garden to buy gardening supplies.

“I feel like it’s an honor and kind of like fulfilling a legacy,” Williams said. “I’m very happy to be a part of it and be able to keep it going.”

More Information

Alabama 4-H is the youth development organization of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. It seeks to empower young people with the skills to lead their communities and grow into future leaders. Visit www.alabama4h.com for more information about 4-H opportunities.