George Sinclair of Southtown and Skank Skates has been involved with a new project recently working on a community garden on Cook Street. The garden is located on 2501 East Cook Street, which is a few blocks North East of Southtown and Black Sheep. Tomorrow there will be a garden breakfast and press event at the community garden at 9:00 and 10:00 am. Anyone is welcomed to join.

The genHkids Coalition has sown the Seeds of Possibility – a Community Garden in East Springfield, between Capital Community Health Center and the Capital City Church of God on Cook Street.   To kickoff and celebrate the garden’s first season, and to thank all of the sponsors and community members that have helped get this program up and growing, genHkids is hosting a “Garden Breakfast” and Press Event in the garden on Thursday, June 27^th at 10am.  Breakfast will be provided starting at 9:00 a.m., prior to the press conference. George Sinclair, genHkids Garden Coordinator, will give an update on the garden and allow time for families and individuals to sign up for garden plots.

Seeds of Possibility is more than just a place for community members to grow food; it is a place to learn how and why growing your own fresh produce is a key to a healthier lifestyle, to connect with neighbors, to get physical activity and to “retrain” taste buds to appreciate fresh, real foods.   Additionally, genHkids staff have planted and are responsible for maintaining the genHkids “Garden of Eaten,” a plot where the food grown is available to all garden participants or neighborhood residents at any time.

Real Cuisine Executive Chef Ashley Meyer will be cooking up breakfast for participants Thursday morning, utilizing both produce harvested that morning and fresh eggs and other produce generously donated by Oak Tree Organics.  The US DEPT. OF AG and the Illinois Egg Council provided additional eggs for the breakfast.

genHkids will use this opportunity to thank Green Family Stores, Seeds of Change, Ann Charland, St.John’s Children’s Hospital, Senior Pastor Dennis E. Hawthorne and Capital City Church of God, Craig Glover and Central Counties Health Centers, and all the volunteers and community members who have committed to making Seeds of Possibiliity a success.  Garden plots are still available and attendees will be able to sign up at the event.  Additionally,

genHkids Executive Director Patty Knepler says, “We hope that Seeds of Possibility will become a place for people to gather, not only to nourish their bodies, but also their minds and emotional well being.  genHkids cares deeply about the health and well-being of Springfield’s children and their families, and we know that community gardens can become so much more than just a place to grow food.  It will be fun to see what the community ultimately makes of this project, and we are so proud to be part of sowing these first seeds!”