Bonnie Netschert
Bonnie Netschert said “yes”. Bonnie is an employee of the Verizon Corporation and she was looking for an opportunity to give 50 hours of her time this year so that America’s Grow-a-Row could receive a $750 donation in her name. We asked if she would consider transforming the mostly defunct Union Township Middle School courtyard garden into a fully-productive donation garden and she said “yes”! This was no small feat, to be sure. The project required that she manage the details of: recruiting volunteers, digging out the weedy beds, relocating stubborn shrubbery, laying down weed mat and planting for the summer season. This was before she even started in on lining up volunteers to care for the garden each week during the summer months. Bonnie did a tremendous job and never got discouraged or took a shortcut. The garden is absolutely gorgeous, what a transformation (see photos below). Even better, Bonnie and her volunteer team are donating more than 60 pounds of healthy, fresh produce each week to local food pantries. What an extraordinary job she has done – we are so grateful!
Bonnie got a LOT of help and gardening advice from her husband, Fred, and we are deeply grateful for all of the time and sweat equity that he put in, as well. And their daughter, Jacqueline, pitched in a lot of volunteer hours, as well. Bonnie has this to say about her experience with the garden, “One of the rewards of all of this is the comraderie amongst everyone pulling together for a good cause.” So true, and so true to the mission of America’s Grow-a-Row.
Thanks to Bonnie, Fred, and Jacqueline – we’re lucky to have you!
