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New Bern Garden to benefit veterans, disadvantaged youth reopens after move

Sun Journal - 5/25/2021

May 25—It's a kind of a Victory Garden in peacetime.

During World War II, Americans were encouraged to aid the war effort by growing vegetables in backyard gardens.

Today in New Bern, the Veteran Employment Base Camp and Organic Garden is fighting a different kind of war, helping veterans while teaching disadvantaged children responsibility and giving them some income.

The garden, which had been operating for eight years under the watchful eye of its founder, Lovay Wallace-Singleton, had a reopening Friday in a place one doesn't usually expect to find a multitude of flowers, herbs and vegetable: in a parking lot on Pollock Street1235 Pollock Street to be exact. Originally it was in a more traditional spot — a field that was part of the Stanley White Recreation Center.

"When the city of New Bern made the decision to tear down Stanley White Recreation Center they told us we could stay back in that field but we would be the only ones over there," Wallace-Singleton said. "We decided to move. But where to move?"

P. O. Rodgers, bishop of Dayspring Ministries offered them the parking lot, and for six months Wallace-Singleton and her workers and volunteers worked to move the gardens — and are working still. Many of the plants are grown in hoop houses which have yet to be set up across the street.

She originally started the gardens, she said, when "we noticed that there were some problems with some veterans coming back and adjusting to life after the military." Along with teaching them gardening, the Veterans Garden also assisted veterans with such things as filing claims and building resumes, and hosting Stand Downs annually where veterans could "come back to base camp to refresh."

The Gardens also emphasizes work with disabled veterans. The garden is set specifically to make it easy for wheelchair-bound vets to navigate around.

The garden is a colorful place — the surrounding fence is festooned with flags, and inside are tables and benches and porch swings, and two or three booths or three-sided structures where visitors and veterans can relax, and where the Gardens will start their market on the third Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. All around are herbs and flowers growing in pots, and the buildings are decorated with old-timey tin signs.

Wallace-Singleton said the Gardens works with the Boys and Girls Club in bringing youth to help with gardening and selling; a bank also assists in teaching them financial responsibility with the money they are paid. Volunteers — including Marines from Cherry Point, also assist.

The garden is operated from January 16 through November 14 each year.

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