rooftop garden Archives

One day. Every Month. Six girls . Eighty Organic potatoes. Ninety minutes. Forty + hungry mouths to feed.

For the last couple of months a group of my gal pals and I have had the pleasure to volunteer for the ‘Inside Out’ Kitchen at Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross. Run by Rob Caslick, the logic underpinning this amazing charity is quite simple – the most nutritious and healthy food should be eaten by those who need it most: the homeless and needy.

We get and hour and a half to create a delicious organic 3-course meal, created with fresh, organic ingredients for some of Sydney’s homeless and needy. I am not going to lie – it is like being on an episode of Masterchef. We sweat. We shout. And yes, sometimes we cry (with happiness & relief ofcourse….). I definite crowd-pleaser were the baked pears with cinnamon & ice-cream!

I can’t even describe the immense satisfaction that comes with serving up a hearty (and healthy) meal to those who genuinely appreciate every bite.

YES…. I know, between Movember, and Jul-ina (Yes, it is a ‘thang’…it is the women equivalent to Movember, but ‘down there’…gross) there are a lot of causes we are asked to donate to…..

HOWEVER, in 2014 the Wayside Chapel are building a rooftop garden above the soup kitchen in Kings Cross. The garden will be maintained by Asylum Seekers- people who have arrived by plane, lodged for refugee status and have to wait 4-5 years without employment. This means five years in limbo without work permits and without meaningful, five years of vulnerability, without family and friend support networks.

BUT, our rooftop garden will grow more than food; it will grow opportunities. Opportunities for refugees to participate in familiar activities and grow traditional foods. Opportunities for meaningful activities during periods of uncertainty. Opportunities to increase self worth.

Please watch this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt-cZVQOcac

SO, I am asking for your help….if you can spare a little bit of money this Christmas, please consider donating to Refugee Garden.

If you give to one charity this Christmas, please give to us.

We need to raise $15,000 for the rooftop garden.

If you are feeling generous please follow the link below:-

https://www.chuffed.org/project/rgkx/

AND SPREAD THE WORD!!!!

Gardening is an act of love. It teaches us to ‘connect’ with our surroundings and planet. It teaches us patience. It teaches us that to keep something alive we must take care and nourish. I believe gardening is a form of moving meditation. It requires a quiet mind and intense concentration on the task at hand. Gardening slows you down. It is no wonder that gardening has been hailed as a ‘therapy method’ for people suffering anxiety or mental disorders. Working in a garden soothes ones soul. I personally believe that watching something bloom and grow generates this acute sense ‘life’ and what it has to offer.

I guess in a way gardens are a metaphor for life itself….they need the right proportion and balance of things to amount to something wonderful. Same goes for our lives…we need to maintain a balance and be nourished by the right people, the right foods, the right environments to grow to our full potential and be grateful for each day.

And…just for some rooftop garden inspiration…