From its cascading fountain to its iconic mural, the On Lok 30th Street Senior Center Garden is an expression of the community's labor and love. This summer, thanks to a revamped irrigation system and the stewarding efforts of volunteers and staff, the garden has produced a record harvest of fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
"For the first time since the full reopening of the center, we collected enough produce to share at our monthly bazaar," said Jonica Brooks, one of the volunteers who help maintain the grounds. For a $2 donation, shoppers brought home freshly picked broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and Swiss chards, tomatoes, and bunches of rosemary, chamomile, and cilantro.
During the pandemic, the garden lay fallow and silent. Today, participants enjoy activities or relaxation next to neat rows of vegetables and lush flower beds. On Lok Chief of Development John Blazek has taken a personal interest in the garden's rebirth and sustainability, hiring experts to improve irrigation and accessibility.
For Jonica, volunteering in the garden is a way to connect with her roots. When she was a child, her family relocated from San Francisco to Indiana, with a dream to live off the land. "We grew our own food, raised chickens and cows," she says. Their bathroom was an outhouse, and water came from a well. While attending Quaker boarding school, she served as volunteer on the United Farm Workers' community far. She fondly remembers tending to her duties, while women made tortillas under the trees.
After retiring from her profession as a registered nurse last year, Jonica has been spending more time volunteering at the senior center. "The garden is my happy place," she says, "and I feel privileged to help take care of it. When I am here, I am at peace with the world."
John agrees: "Sometimes, at the end of a long day, I leave work by walking through the garden and exiting through the back gate. I pause for a moment and take in the beauty and tranquility of this hidden treasure," he says. "My hope is that more and more people will come here and be reconnected to nature and energized by this incredible place."
