Community Corner
Growing A Colorful World
EP Youth Department Merges Their Garden Program With A Unique Art Project
There is a little spot in Evergreen Park where the sun is always shining, no matter what the weather may bring.
You can find it just west of the Community Center building, across the small driveway, located in the small yard that defines the westernmost edges of the property.
This particular pot of gold at the foot of a rainbow is the Youth Garden, coordinated by the Evergreen Park Youth Department. The garden project began in May under the guidance of Youth Department Director Pyeisha Allen and Village Gardener James Nowicki.
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In a special open house on Tuesday, May 24, the garden was planted by a small number of youths who had signed up for the program, which has continued weekly; and on Tuesday, July 12, the project was taken one step further.
The Youth Department’s “Art Hour” program, supervised by local artist Dan Doyle, worked hand in hand with the Youth Garden volunteers to create a beautiful mural that will serve as the garden’s backdrop.
“In a little over a month, the Youth Garden is coming along beautifully,” said Ms. Pyeisha. “But we wanted to dress up the area a little bit and make it stand out and serve as a testament to our kids’ efforts”.
Four sheets of plywood, each at 4’ by 8’ are being stenciled by Mr. Doyle and painted by the youth volunteers. The first paint day was completed on Tuesday the 12th, with the second phase scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 14 at 3:30pm. The mural is decorated with colorful illustrations of the beauty of nature, hand painted by the kids.
“In addition to the Youth Center/Game Room, we offer an array of opportunities, activities and events for the kids.” Ms. Pyeisha continued. “We are a creative team and we will continue to find things that will interest our kids.”
The next big event coordinated by the Youth Department will be the Evergreen Park Historical Bike Tour, which takes place on Saturday, July 30.
But that, as they say, is a different story, coming soon.
The Youth Department can be reached by calling (708) 229-3377; they also have a Facebook page “Evergreen Park Youth Department” and an Instagram handle of “epyouthdept”.
