Sophomore Emma Patch works with a local Bridgeport teen to fill a wheelbarrow with dirt.
Casey Manzella
Reporter
Charity work usually brings up thoughts of raising money to help alleviate poverty in Africa or a foreign third world country; yet, there is poverty and a need for charity just 23 miles from New Canaan, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Former NCHS student and UC Berkeley environmental science major, Tara DiRocco, recognized this need and has dedicated her time over the last several months to helping build gardens throughout the city to supply the public schools with organic vegetables. “When I first heard about the farm I simply had to get involved!” Ms. DiRocco said. “I started to help build the farm in February and have been there ever since.”
Ms. DiRocco’s main project is to turn an abandoned strip mall into a community garden to be called Reservoir Community Farm. This garden will be the main educational hub servicing 18 other gardens at local Bridgeport schools. “The garden will grow food for the Bridgeport School District during the school year, as well as for community members during the summer,” Ms. DiRocco said.
Sophomore Erin Bucci helps fill the pathways of the garden with wood chips.
Ms. DiRocco has become dedicated to this project because of its rewarding results. “I dedicate so much of my free time to working at Reservoir Community Farm because of the impact I see it have on the community members,” she said. “Crime rates have already decreased 35% in the area in the past six months. It is great to see people of all ages coming together around a common and beautiful task- growing and caring for a plant.”
Recently, Ms. DiRocco enlisted the assistance of several NCHS students to help at the garden on the weekends. Sophomores Erin Bucci, Emma Leslie, Katherine Luciano and Emma Patch all volunteered on a recent weekend to help level garden beds, shovel dirt and plant vegetables for the benefit of Bridgeport locals. “I felt like it was an amazing thing to do for the community,” Emma Leslie said. “I would definitely go again!”
Katherine also recognized the opportunity for community service. “I’m used to having all of this nice stuff available to me and I often take it for granted so I wanted to be able to give back to the community,” she said.
While their day was filled with hard work, Erin agreed with Ms. DiRocco about what a rewarding experience it was. “My favorite experience was seeing the children from the community have a place where they loved being instead of wandering around the city with the influence of drugs and harmful behaviors,” she said. “It was rewarding to see how much they enjoyed our help towards making this garden possible.”
The garden gave the girls an opportunity to work with and meet new people. “I loved meeting all the great people,” Emma Patch said. “Everyone was so thrilled to be helping out that I couldn’t help but smile along with them. Seeing so many people dedicated to this project was eye opening for me and
Sophomore Emma Patch teaches young Bridgeport girls how to garden.
made me respect the people I met even more.”
While Reservoir Community Farm provides many learning opportunities for the locals, Ms. DiRocco feels working at the garden has also taught her many lessons. “I have learned that everybody has something to teach,” she said. “From the smallest kid to the quietest garden visitor, everyone who has come into Reservoir Community Farm has shared some beautiful aspect of themselves with me.”
Ms. DiRocco also wishes to share this learning experience with as many volunteers as possible. “I hope volunteers will realize the power of the community,” Ms. DiRocco said. “It really only takes a little bit of dedication and time to make a huge impact!”
