As many of you know who these two intelligent fellows are, David Cooke & Wayne Riley. We were graced with quick lesson from them this week about food study here at the Laurel County African-American Center. Wayne did a presentation of the center and how it became a Nonprofit and gave a tour of our Community garden, and High-Tunnels.
We had twelve students from Berea College, and their Teacher Mrs. J. Blythe come visit us and learn about the center and it’s connection in our community and how Grow Appalachia’s role in food security has helped our community. They got to witness first hand how we came from an old vacant church to a nonprofit and on to an important part of this community here in Laurel Co. How we have been able to impact several families here and insure them with the means to feed themselves through the Grow Appalachia Program by, growing, harvesting, preserving, and marketing their own produce.
The students were very interested in every word that Mr. Riley had to say. As I watched him give his presentation, it was as if each one of the students were taking in his every word. They were impressed with every thing he had to share, from becoming a carpenter, to saving his childhood church, turning it into a nonprofit, and later partnering with Grow Appalachia. I was just amazed with their interest. I hope that we have an intern from this group in the future or that they find away to come back and visit on their own.
I have to say that these students are a great group of young people. I take great pleasure in getting to meet them, and applaud Mrs. Blythe for the great job she is doing teaching them. Without her guidance they would not have had the chance to experience coming here and learning what they did. We need more teachers that care the way she does. It shows though her students.
Thank You Mrs. Blythe
You are doing great things!!!
God Bless 🙂
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