5 PM Group Community Garden

OUR MISSION:  To create a beautifully serene and distinctive community garden that will provide various community events, educational resources of gardening for a healthier lifestyle, stress reduction through mindfulness, healthy cardio strength programming with trail hikes, and mentorship programs for youth.  

The 5 PM Group, Community Garden location, is beside Perry High School's football field on Richard's Way at the bottom of Vinceton Street in Observatory Hill. The project was collectively created by the 5 Points Merchants  Group (5 PM Group) of the business district in Observatory Hill. 

We are raising funds to commit so that implementation will happen immediately when the funds. Right now, our donations are doubled, allowing us to raise just $5k for a $10k result to secure this garden! 

The community garden will provide accessible gardening opportunities for local businesses and residents of Observatory Hill. But the garden will also offer other unique opportunities.  It will feature a labyrinth, a children's gardening section, walking trails, and seating for those who may only want to relax and enjoy the garden's serenity.  

Unfortunately, earlier this year, as we started to implement our plan to begin working on the space, the pandemic COVID-19 shut our world down.  Life became different for us all, and we had to adjust to a "new normal."   The COVID-19 pandemic forced mandatory "stay-at-home" orders, with many living in total isolation and becoming prisoners inside our homes.  Our businesses shut down, schools closed,  and unemployment at an all-time high.  Sadly, the virus has taken many lives, with more deaths expected.  We learned the most vulnerable to COVID-19 is our elderly population, and those with underlying health issues like diabetes, heart disease, asthma are more at risk of succumbing to the virus.  COVID-19 has also proven its ability to attack our healthier population through depression, anxiety, and panic attacks.  We are dealing with losing our jobs, finances, our children's education, and not having outside contact with our loved ones and friends.  COVID-19 has created a sense of hopelessness and fear globally.

5 PM Group met through virtual meetings discussing this virus and its impact on our own fears.  Since we know the fear COVID-19 has caused throughout the world, people have now begun to experience anxiety and panic attacks.  We came up with the idea of adding a mindfulness aspect to the community garden.  We've researched articles on clinical studies on Mindfulness, and results have shown; Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction appears to be an effective tool to reduce anxiety in patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Patients who learned Mindfulness Meditation had less stress reactivity and were more resilient.  Some research also suggests that practicing meditation may reduce blood pressure, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. By adding Mindfulness in the garden, people will be introduced to the benefits of mindfulness, meditation, and how to cope with stress, anxiety, and panic attacks.  The community garden will also become the resource center providing educational classes in combating diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease with classes in growing vegetables, cooking healthier—physical activity with trail hikes. We want the garden to be the stepping stone of providing change for at-risk populations of the COVID-19 virus. 

We can accomplish this with the assistance of our local business owners, residents, volunteers, stakeholders, and partnering organizations. CDC guidelines for social distancing and masks will be followed.

Spring 2021, the 5 PM Group and community volunteers will: 

• Installation and fabric lining of 15 garden boxes
• Construction of the labyrinth
• Purchase and installation of the storage shed
• Purchase mulch, compost, soil
• Purchase and installation of signage to bring awareness to the garden

We are building the 5 PM Group Community Garden to unify and cultivate new relationships with local businesses, residents, and the youth of Observatory Hill and neighboring communities. Current health data shows the surge of diabetes, obesity, and depression among all age groups of those who would be most at-risk for COVID-19.   

The garden becomes a local source of fresh vegetables and fruits for residents who don't have access to transportation to get to a store, or they may not have the finances to purchase the rising cost of fresh produce.  Developing stewardship/mentoring programs provides an opportunity for us to reach out and encourage youth involvement.  The garden will also host numerous events, including small music concerts, family walk-in theater nights, and much more.

OUR MISSION:  To create a beautifully serene and distinctive community garden that will provide various community events, educational resources of gardening for a healthier lifestyle, stress reduction through mindfulness, healthy cardio strength programming with trail hikes, and mentorship programs for youth.