Member Mondays - Lien Nguyen

*Every Monday, the Silicon Valley HealthCorps blog attempts to capture a member's experience and story during their time as a HealthCorps member.

One of my favorite memories from the Garden and Nutrition Workshop was with Rahul Ray, a two and a half year old boy that absolutely LOVES cars and gets easily distracted with his favorite green toy car that is always in his possession. In the beginning, Rahul would play with his car and seemed uninterested in any of the activities. However, slowly yet evidently this changed. Rahul started participating and later became an active participant in our activities.

In one of the workshops, we made vegetable soup and Rahul sipped the all soup and ate all the vegetables until the bowl was completely emptied. Even his mother was shocked! She told us that before this workshop, Rahul was very reluctant to try vegetables and she would never imagine him eating vegetable soup like he did. She also told me that at home he would demand vegetables from her and her husband. And, when they asked him why he wanted to eat vegetables he said, “Because it’s good for you!” and he would tell them the he had learned it in “school.”

Stories like these are reasons why I became so attached and inspired to work the community. It’s fascinating how these young minds can grasp such an understanding and change the way they view fruits and vegetables. It is even more amazing to see families transform their eating habits and change their lifestyle to be healthier. Especially with my nutrition background, you cannot even start imagine how proud and honor I am to partake in such wonderful experiences. I will forever be appreciative to what Silicon Valley HealthCorps has given for me.

McKinley/Bonita Neighborhood Celebrates a New Community Garden

On April 24th, in conjunction with La Mesa Verde's Spring planting day, community members celebrated the official start of the newly established McKinley/Bonita Neighborhood Garden. Approximately 60 community members attended to participate in children's activities, witness a ceremonial garden planting of the community garden bed and chat with their neighbors and friends.

And what, might you say, is so different about this community garden? Why not spotlight all of the other community gardens popping up around the area? This garden is a unique testament to the power of community development and the increasing interest in urban agriculture opportunities. The garden isn't growing in a vacant lot, or filling a corner of a city park, it is in the front yard of a community members home. The homeowner graciously offered up her front yard, tore out her Bermuda grass with the help of Silicon Valley Health Corps volunteers, and is now letting 3 families from the community grow food in her front yard.

Three participants of the La Mesa Verde program with part of their early summer harvest.

Each family is participating in the La Mesa Verde program, which offers free wooden garden beds, plants, soil, gardening classes and mentorship for families in San Jose who want help growing their own food. All 3 of these families live in apartments and therefore, wouldn't usually be able to participate in the program.

On the 24th, they planted all sorts of summer vegetables including; peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, pole beans and melons. During the school year some of the children requested that their parents wait until after school for them to go to the garden, so they could go as well. The participants come to the garden a few days a week to water, harvest and maintain their gardens, bringing their children and families along to share in the responsibilities and delights of the garden.