A row of peach trees line the garden next door to the Walnut Way Center, located at 2240 N. 17th Street.
They are just some of the 150 fruit trees that surround the blocks of the center that now occupies once vacant properties. Walnut Way is offering a summer youth program where teens will learn to take care of the trees and other plants and vegetables.
Called the ‘Growing Youth Leadership Program,’ this nine week (June 6 thru August 8) program unites the education and skill development of local youth with the values of the community’s elders—coupled with community space—with the goal of producing and sharing locally grown food and supporting community health.
The program employs teen interns who are interested in gardening, agriculture, biology, arts and other similar fields. There are also openings for Walnut Way’s Blue Skies Landscaping Program (for adults), as well as clerical/administrative positions. Walnut Way Conservation Corp. (Walnut Way) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit neighborhood organization founded by residents in 2000. The center is a restored early 20th century house that had been slated for demolition.
It now serves as an active center where youth, families, elders, homeowners and renters participate in community development.—Photos by Yvonne Kemp