Alejandro Vazquez and some of his peers recently performed a community-service project where they learned a few gardening tips at Kelly’s Garden Sense.
This project was part of their requirements as Juvenile Services clients.
Vazquez said he wanted to “start off by saying Kelly is an amazing person. I liked the way she explained to us the process of growing plants and giving us the opportunity for hands-on learning.
“We now have experience working with soil and the planting process. I also liked that she told me the back story of when she first started gardening. I thank everybody at Kelly’s Garden for giving us this great experience.”
Kelly Moeder, owner of the business at 134 NE 10 Ave., Great Bend, said she wanted to use this opportunity “to share knowledge and offer opportunities to those who may not have otherwise found us.
“They learned valuable skills that can be used in the future. This promotes positive change, while allowing participants to maybe find a hobby.”
Moeder said she would participate in this project again and encouraged other businesses to get involved.
“This is a great opportunity to share information about your business and spread knowledge to the younger generation,” she explained. “It also allows them to explore career opportunities and find something they can be passionate about through the positive influence of local businesses.”
Samantha Courson, greenhouse manager, noted that “Kelly shared personal stories about being clean and sober at the event. You could see the pride beaming from her. The kids really enjoyed their time with us and mentioned they had fun.
“It was great to have such a large group to help us accomplish smaller projects,” Courson added. “We look forward to hosting a group again.”
Juvenile Services
Marissa Woodmansee, Juvenile Services director, said that most young people under direct JS supervision are assigned community-service hours.
“This goes along with restorative justice because the kids are giving back to their community,” Woodmansee said. “There were about 20 young people planting vegetables and flowers, and placing a mesh weed deterrent in the area.
“They worked together to roll this mesh down the path with a rubber mallet to stake it into the ground. They repeated this about 10 times. That takes teamwork.”
Participants represented Barton and some other counties in the 20th Judicial District.
“We hope other businesses will become involved,” Woodmansee commented. “Community service is important for kids because they learn a new skill and possibly connect with a future employer.”
20th Judicial District Juvenile Services empowers youth in Barton, Rice, Ellsworth, Stafford and Russell counties to achieve positive outcomes by offering Juvenile Intake & Assessment, Immediate Intervention, Intensive Supervised Probation, Case Management, Journey to Change, Life Skills, All Stars and Youth Crew. Parents and guardians also are offered The Parent Project. Visit 1800 12th in Great Bend or call 620-793-1930.
