Roots of Resilience: Gary’s Story
Meet Gary, one of CCUA’s superstar volunteers. CCUA’s Executive Director, Billy Polansky, sat down recently with Gary to chat about his time spent with CCUA:
When I asked Gary how he first got involved with CCUA he told me, “2020 terrorized me, the news said a lot of negative things. I stayed inside my home and spent a lot of time alone. Towards the end, I noticed that my social skills and health were deteriorating. I realized I needed to find something meaningful to do with my time.”
In the fall of 2022, Gary stopped by Columbia’s Agriculture Park – a decision that impacted his social life and health for the better. As he ventured through the gardens and food forest he was greeted by friendly staff who sent him home with more information about CCUA’s programs.
“I remember being overwhelmed by the friendliness and enthusiasm of everyone.”
He attended that year’s Hootenanny and remembers getting gardening advice from a few CCUA staff members. Since then he has graduated from our Market Garden Apprenticeship program, volunteered across the organization: building an arbor at the Veterans Urban Farm, growing fresh produce for hunger relief at the Agriculture Park, and helping people in their backyard gardens in the Opportunity Gardens Program.
The social isolation Gary felt before coming to CCUA has been reduced. Friends he made through his time with us can help water his home garden when he’s out of town. He started a weekly game night with some staff and volunteers, he’s also been attending cookie parties and potlucks with people he’s met through CCUA. “I get to practice talking to lots of different people,” Gary told me. In addition to the social benefits, Gary now gets lots of physical activity and has the opportunity to give back to his community.
“At my age I’ve got to be active, or I’ll deteriorate.” - Gary Miller
Gary enjoys working at the Veterans Urban Farm. He is himself a Veteran who served in Desert Storm, “you have a kindred spirit with each other, even if you weren’t serving together you all were put into these situations where you didn’t have control of what was going on.”
Gary says that 2023 was the best gardening year of his life. He mapped out his vegetable garden and made a garden plan – things he hadn’t done before. The skills he learned were a huge help to make his garden more productive. Gary credits his garden's newfound success to the lessons he learned from CCUA staff and our “growing guide” for backyard gardeners, which provided a good visual aid.
CCUA’s vision is a community transformed by good food for all and the skills to grow it. I love that we are able to improve people’s lives – like Gary’s – while they are volunteering to improve other people’s lives. It’s a beautiful cycle of building resilience in our community. The impacts of CCUA’s work reach far and wide, the positive changes are measured more than just the food grown. One person at a time we can transform this community for the better.
Your donation is an important part of this community effort and we need your help! Sponsor A Row today to help grow CCUA’s programs and good food for all.
