Philadelphia is home to numerous community gardens that beautify our neighborhoods, provide a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of city life, and offer a way to engage with community. As most of these gardens rely on volunteers, we decided to compile a few around the city where you can lend a helping hand.
🌻 Cesar Andreú Iglesias Community Garden, West Kensington
This vibrant garden and art space works to bring local residents together through sustainable gardening practices. Established by the Philly Socialists in 2012 and named after a playwright and labor organizer, this multi-racial, multi-generational community is dedicated to protecting the land for community benefit. In addition to helping to maintain the garden, volunteers can participate in events like a deadlift fundraiser on Sept. 28.
🌱 Glenwood Green Acres, North Philly
This garden is rooted in community history. Founded in 1983 when local residents revitalized the space after a fire destroyed the whisky barrel factory that once stood there, today 90 plots of in-ground garden beds are thriving there. The garden has a tool library and partners with the PHS City Harvest program for food production. Volunteers can join Neighborhood Work Days to help with weeding, garbage clean-up, and other maintenance.
🧑🌾 Philly Peace Park, West and North Philly
Volunteers are the core of Philly Peace Park, where they’re involved in day-to-day management and strategic planning. This charitable eco-campus fosters a free produce program, providing more than 30,000 pounds of produce since 2018. The goals are to introduce youth to agricultural practices and foster a movement to eliminate poverty through the ethical utilization of micro-industries.
🍄 CommUnity Garden at The Creek, Mill Creek
As a multi-purpose collaborative space, the garden aims to provide fresh produce, education, and wellness for the community. It hosts meditation workshops, yoga classes, a garden club, and events with crafts and games. Garden leaders are recruiting people to help revamp and beautify the space at a meeting for potential volunteers on Aug. 20.
