Garden Sows Seeds Of Peace And Safety In Woodlawn
Urban Garden Sprouts In Woodlawn
(CBS) – In one Chicago community where violence is a common occurrence, one man is trying to sow the seed of peace and safety.
He's doing that by creating an urban garden smack dab in the middle of Woodlawn.
Shovel by shovel, a group of volunteers is slowly transforming one corner of Woodlawn into something alive with beautiful plants and flowers.
Urban gardener William Hill, with funding from the University of Chicago and the South East Chicago Commission, is creating an oasis of calm in the midst of one of the city's more violent communities. The space is located on Dorchester Avenue between 64th and 65th streets just below the Metra tracks.
He says the goal is to "give life into a community that's surrounded by just the urban problems that we face today" and to create a safe space for kids and adults.
Hill's goal will be achieved with help from volunteers, including college students who will paint a mural on a nearby underpass. Neighbor Laveta McNulty gets her hands dirty three days a week.
"I never thought in a million years that I would move to the South Side of Chicago and be in the soil," she says.
The Chicago Botanic Garden and local businesses have also pitched in.
The garden is expected to be finished by the end of October.
