Keen gardeners can get growing in a new community garden which was launched at the ac.care Mount Gambier Community Centre recently.
The grand opening coincided with Anti-Poverty Week and was attended by staff, donors, civic members and people who frequent the centre.
People got their hands dirty planting vegetables, flowers and herbs under the guidance of Bunnings Mount Gambier staff.
OneFortyOne donated the garden beds, Bio Gro donated the soil and attendees enjoyed a lunch provided by the Rapid Relief Team AU of Mount Gambier.
ac.care Limestone Coast Homelessness regional manager Kelly McGuiness said the idea for the garden developed several years ago when staff noticed the cost of living increasing.
“We thought maybe we could teach people to grow their own food … to save a lot of money and be eating the most nutritious food you possibly can get,” she said.
“We also realised being out in nature improves people’s mental health and it’s also great for grounding.”
Ms McGuinness said she was excited about the community garden project and hoped it would be a success.
“It is great not only for people to save money, it is also great for the environment,” she said.
“Hopefully the skills people will learn here they will take home to their own gardens and start growing their own food at home.”
ac.care Mount Gambier homelessness service manager Trish Spark said the garden was a great opportunity for people to get out and about and connect in the community.
“I think currently with the cost of living rising all the time people are finding it really difficult to have enough food from one day to the next,” Ms Spark said.
“So this will be really helpful around people eating healthy.
“We’re hoping in the future we can take it even further and start to teach people how to cook the food and make really nutritious meals.”
Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin praised the initiative and believed there was a sense of achievement and pride in producing and cooking home-grown produce.
“I think it is a wonderful initiative by the staff here at the ac.care community centre and it will be wonderful for the clients,” Mayor Martin said.
“Some of them may not have had an opportunity to garden before so they will learn a new skill and I think gardening is just the best therapy.”
Mayor Martin said council was grateful for everything the ac.care Community Centre did for the less fortunate and vulnerable and thanked staff for their role in the community.
