Chester Housing Authority Preparing Community Garden for Planting

CHA employees Crystal Harrison and Tina Martinez
were happy to be out in the Earth Day sun.

(Chester, PA-April 22, 2014)- Employees of the Chester Housing Authority (CHA) came out from behind their desks on Earth Day to prepare the agency’s community garden for spring planting just off of West 9th Street.

With shovels, tillers, rakes and garden scissors in hand, about 25 staffers spent the morning bringing the site back to life and began planting the fruits and vegetables that will sprout this summer.

“CHA has been doing its small part to foster sustainable dependence on our own land in the few available places we have,” said CHA executive Director Steven Fischer. “This is our fifth season working at the Ruth L. Bennett Homes Community Garden. It has been successful because residents, students and as you can see today many CHA staff members believe in this program.”

CH workers have built a pavilion next to the garden with enough ground to host outdoor events. Always looking for ways to generate revenue to fund resident services, Fischer says the agency hopes to rent the space for weddings and other similar affairs. All the agricultural products grown in the community garden will remain in the community.