Knight Foundation staff and their friends and family members joined some Liberty City residents to work on a garden project Jan. 16.

Sixty Knight Foundation employees, friends and family members recently joined Miami community residents and the nonprofit Health in the Hood to dedicate a day to gardening and observe the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

The Jan. 16 project took place in the Liberty City neighborhood, where the group built new vegetable beds, planted seeds and seedlings, and harvested vegetables, including broccoli, collard greens, cherry tomatoes, okra and edamame. 

The neighborhood kids brought their interest and enthusiasm. While the adults placed cinderblocks and moved sod, the younger gardeners built trellises for the cherry tomatoes and helped move topsoil.

Asha Loring, founder and executive director of Health in the Hood, said the nonprofit was “thrilled to partner with Knight Foundation to expand our Liberty City community garden. The Knight Foundation team was not afraid to get their hands dirty! They built additional vegetable beds, which allow us to grow more fresh foods for children and families in food deserts.”

Loring said Health in the Hood provides wellness opportunities in underserved communities and empowers residents to lead healthful lives. “It was an honor and a pleasure to work with Knight Foundation to build healthier communities,” she said.

The Knight team included staff members from every department. They worked alongside community residents who use the produce in their everyday cooking.

“We were lucky because it was a school holiday and the neighborhood kids were home. It was great to see how engaged they were in planting the gardens and harvesting the vegetables,” said Matt Haggman, Miami program director for Knight Foundation.

“Health in the Hood is clearly helping healthy living take root in Liberty City.”

Knight staff and family members harvest vegetables in the community garden. Photo by Michael Bolden.

Learn more about Health in the Hood’s work and how you can help connect communities to wellness by contacting Asha Loring.

Lauren Rothstein is an assistant at Knight Foundation and organizer of the recent Knight service project.