"Flash Volunteer" effort at Noank School Public Gardens pays off

The six-acre property in quaint Noank, the former location of the Noank Elementary School, is preserved with the intent to create a community garden where grown produce can be donated to local food centers. With 48.8 MILLION Americans food insecure worldwide, we jump at opportunities to work with gardens such as this one, as it represents the exact cause ECCGA works for. We were lucky enough to have Emma Sutphen, the Assistant Farm Manager at Coogan Farm this summer, volunteer her time to oversee a revamp work party for the garden. With her immense garden knowledge and skill (as well as her passion for all things Mother Earth!), we knew this project would be in good hands. As our volunteer opportunities for the public present themselves sporadically, we post "flash volunteer" requests on Facebook. This way, individuals do not have to commit to a set volunteer schedule, but are still able to get involved when they can. Five of our Facebook followers (and a reporter from the New London Day!) saw our event online and came out (despite the heat) to help us get the garden in tip-top shape. Teamwork really did make the dream work! This beautiful garden is the epitome of what truly matters - helping those with limited access to adequate food sources.