Food for Thought: The CIS Giving Gardens

by Christy Wylie

In the late summer, early fall of this 2010-2011 school year, Jaime Jimenez and Casey Sauls sprouted the seedling for the idea of the “CIS Giving Gardens”—an idea that their students will be harvesting for years to come. Longtime friends and co-educators, Jimenez, Project Director with Communities In Schools, and Sauls, teacher and coach at Lone Star Elementary and CIS award recipient, frequently put their minds together to brainstorm new endeavors such as this one on behalf of their students. Jimenez says this idea was a “God” thing for him.

The earth had barely been tilled in early September when Coach Saul’s mother-in-law, Mrs. Fay Sauls, passed away. Fay Sauls, who had been an avid gardener herself, had requested that in place of flowers to honor her passing, that people send a donation in support of the “CIS Giving Gardens.” Jimenez, as a friend and pastor, performed Mrs. Saul’s funeral service, and thanks to her generous request, hundreds of dollars were raised. “That is one of the reasons that the gardens are up and going today,” says Jimenez, “and it is how we keep the memory of Mrs. Saul’s alive.”

According to Jimenez, the project serves the entire student body of Lone Star Elementary, with a focus on CIS’ participants. CIS helps by purchasing gloves, tools, and seeds, and then the students all get to participate in the experience year round. In the fall, the students plant carrots, cabbage, spinach, cauliflower, rosemary, beets, cilantro, and a variety of peppers. Once the produce is harvested, it is donated to families in the community. Then, during the winter months, the students are taught about the cycles of the seasons and how to care for their tools. They also learn about the effects of different types of fertilizers; Coach Sauls grew up on a farm and has many good ideas. The students explore not only science, but also language arts as they read related books on gardening and insects.

Through the cycles of planting, cultivating, and harvesting, the garden serves as a medium for many lessons, both practical and moral, that are central to CIS’s mission. “We wanted to teach the kids that when we give, we receive in return,” says Jimenez. “We put up signs saying, ‘Giving Gardens Harvest Now – Come and Enjoy Our Crops.’,” he explains, “and on their way to and from school, families can take what they need from the gardens which are right beside the school.” Jimenez emphasizes that relying on the honor system teaches the students about generosity and trust. Although the crops are offered to the entire community, many of the families partaking are participants in CIS.

Besides being of service to others, the students learn the importance of nurturing; like a plant has to be watered in order to grow, a person has to be nurtured. They also learn to work together as a team. Jimenez points out that every student starts out thinking that he or she wants to be in charge, but by working together to produce results, they learn responsibility and accountability. “We are building real leaders here,” he says, “by stepping out and letting the kids do the work for themselves.” The garden is also a great leveler of the playing field. “It creates a challenging, rewarding project for those kids who are not athletic. It is another way to be successful,” Jimenez points out.

For all of its benefits, perhaps the most important function of the “CIS Giving Gardens” is that it has become a conversation piece in the community. Jimenez hopes to raise community awareness surrounding the organization. He hears people asking, “What are the ‘Giving Gardens?’” and “What is Communities In Schools?” To continue its work with at-risk students, CIS must continue to be at the forefront of people’s conversations. The “CIS Giving Gardens” are doing their part to provide food for the community and food for thought.