I was dreading waking up at 8:00 am on Saturday morning. Despite having a tame evening of reading and resting on Friday, I was still exhausted from another grueling week of practices, meetings, and work. After hitting the snooze button a few times, I dragged my sleepy self into the lounge to meet up with the rest of the crew heading to the William Byrd Farmlet. Trying to push back worries of how much work I had to do over the weekend, I got in the car and decided to make the most out of the day.
The minute I stepped foot in the William Byrd Community House in the Oregon Hill neighborhood, my mood was transformed. I could tell it was going to be a great morning. Observing the newly renovated, cheerful preschool classroom, the children’s art on the walls, and the room full of community members attending a workshop on raising chickens, it was apparent that the Community House was fulfilling its mission of “creating an environment of positivity, hope and safety” for the community. After a brief tour from Cheryl, the community relations and volunteer coordinator, we went outside to meet Matthew, a new member of the team at the Community Farmlet.
Matthew was working on building a greenhouse from used windows. We also had the option of working on building compost containers or weeding in the garden. I immediately volunteered to spend time in the garden- partially to feel the precious rays of January sun which I had missed so much, and partially to feel the moist soil in my hands. There’s something deeply satisfying about kneeling in the dirt working the ground in preparation for growing new things. I also discovered that I was working feet away from a cluster of beehives! The day couldn’t have gotten any better! (I am fostering a dear love for honeybees.) The time flew by and before I knew it, we were ready to pack up the shovels and bring the wheelbarrow back to the shed. I left with a great sense of accomplishment for the work we had done and a greater sense of excitement at the thought of returning. Each time I make a new connection with the community like this, I feel more and more like Richmond is my home. (Check out the earth worms that do the composting below!)
