Leafy greens and teamwork help CDS cultivate community
'Gardening is just this beautiful extension of what we're trying to do'
School-based growth isn’t limited to classrooms. At Community Day School, the ground is flourishing. Thanks to a partnership with Sunny’s Community Gardens, lettuce, spinach, kale and bok choy are burgeoning, as are copious leafy greens. In time, beets, beans, eggplants and potatoes will be ready for harvest.
Produce is abundant at the Jewish day school; and mere months after 60 volunteers, including those from the Sally and Howard Levin Clubhouse, a program of The Branch, erected raised metal beds on CDS’ Beechwood Boulevard campus excitement is flourishing, too.
“I can’t describe what it’s yielded,” head of school Casey Weiss said of the garden.
Success is driven by strong support and a clear schedule.
On Mondays, volunteers help glean.
Shortly before the 10 a.m. gatherings, Weiss sends a reminder through WhatsApp and social media. Community members then arrive. Volunteers from Sunny’s help tote bag-carrying collectors clip shoots correctly and receive free vegetables.
With master gardener Sandi Lando Welch, 76, at the helm, the experience ensures fair distribution and communal growth.
“I’m helping to feed some of the families in this school who need fresh produce,” she said.
“It’s not obvious to some that in Squirrel Hill, our neighborhood, there are people who are food insecure,” Weiss noted.
Data is scant but some figures point to area needs.
The City of Pittsburgh reports 1 in 5 Pittsburgh residents “struggle to have healthy, adequate and culturally appropriate food.”
Within Allegheny County, 1 in 6 children “may not have enough food,” according to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
Welch, whose grandchildren attend CDS, said she’s aware of several families at the Jewish day school who require aid.
“I know that a large percentage of the students here are on scholarship,” she said. “I also know that there are some very large families here, and unfortunately, it’s way cheaper to buy crappy food than it is to buy fresh vegetables.”
After meeting Weiss at a challah bake earlier this year, Welch committed to creating a new community garden. Since 2021, she and her organization have constructed three others across Pittsburgh.
Sitting at a soon-to-be treated outdoor picnic table at CDS last week, Welch quickly noted each garden’s success is due to reliable volunteers.
“I have a team, and that’s really important,” she told the Chronicle. “I want them to be recognized for their hard work.”
Weiss also happily credited others with cultivating the new space. She applauded Clubhouse members for maintaining four beds, individuals from CDS’ green team with improving campus life, and Welch and other Sunny’s volunteers for helping realize a shared vision.
“One of my goals is to make CDS a hub of Jewish communal life in Pittsburgh,” Weiss said.
Doing so, according to the educator, means tapping various elements on campus for experiential opportunities. Construction is currently underway in the school’s kitchen. Once complete, the space will boast cooking events for students, families and community members.
Outside, in the garden, CDS already has hosted a birdhouse making event. Up next in the open-air stretch is a popsicle bonanza for middle school students. Then, a Zumba class.
“We’re going to consistently be doing activities here,” Weiss said.
Before standing to greet a group of student volunteers, Welch called herself the “chief dirt digger.”
Weiss, who just completed her first year leading CDS, is also busy dirtying her hands.
It’s summer now, but “there’s no break in community,” she said. “Gardening is just this beautiful extension of what we’re trying to do, which again is build community.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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