Perhaps the best thing about Saturday’s (June 9) A Time to Help Project at Buckets of Rain was that the weather didn’t live up to the name of the nonprofit we were helping.
Sure, there was a sprinkle here and there — enough to postpone the painting portion of the project at Founder Chris Skellenger’s four-acre urban garden on Glendale Avenue in Highland Park, across the street from the S.A.Y. Detroit Family Health Clinic. But Buckets of Rain made sure our 20-member group kept busy.
Happily joined by two first-time ATTH volunteers, the team picked and sorted produce, planted seeds, cleaned garden beds, cut the grass, weed-whacked, picked up trash — everything associated with helping the nonprofit in feeding the homeless and needy in the community.
Karen Gilbert and John Magnuson of Motor City Paint-Shelby Paint & Decorating even delivered freshly picked vegetables to a shelter after their shift.
Once again, S.A.Y. Detroit is grateful to Motor City Paint for donating the paint needed for the shipping container; eventually it will be transformed from bright orange to green. Chuck Schaeffer said the company plans to work with Skellenger next week to get the project completed.
Buckets of Rain provides 100,000 servings a season of produce; 95 percent of the donations it receives are used to maintain the Highland Park garden.
ATTH’s next volunteer project is scheduled for July 14 at Cass Community Social Services. Details will be announced in the next week or so.
