Tom Sawyer and the Sharing Gardens

A sweet story: We were at the Monroe garden site, earlier in the season, painting the tool-shed doors when an 11 year-old boy named Dustin came walking by on his way home from school (remember our garden site is sandwiched between the food bank and elementary school.)

"What are you guys doing?" he said.
"Just putting some paint on these old doors," was our reply,
"Oh cool! Can I help?"
"Well, we're just about to call it quits for the day and besides, aren't your parents expecting you?"
"Not for another half hour. Please?"
"Well, we don't want you to get any paint on your school clothes."
"I promise I won't. I'll be very careful!"

So, Chris squatted down and gave him a lesson in dipping the brush, wiping off the excess and painting with the grain of the wood. You can't imagine a happier kid. We kept thinking of Tom Sawyer and his fence-painting escapades. Here are some pictures. This is exactly the kind of interactions we've imagined were possible when we conceived of expanding the program to include our towns' young people.

 The Lesson

The Application

"You guys are cool!" was his casual, over-the-shoulder remark as he sauntered home from the gardens when the painting lesson was done.

We like to think so!