Finding a healthy meal and a shady tree to sit under is not easy in East Harlem, a historically marginalized community. Access to nutritional food and safe green places is severely limited in this neighborhood, where the rates of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease are among the highest in all of New York City. East Harlem residents experience high incidents of hardships such as poverty, violence, and pollution, all of which significantly decrease quality of life.

Stop at the 125th street subway station and see for yourself.

However, ABC has created a paradise in El Barrio (aka East Harlem). Nestled among tall buildings and a busy city street, complete with the sounds of horns blowing and Latin music vibrating, our community garden chirps and sways in a breeze of peace and nature. Our community garden programs give children and families an opportunity to grow their own food and enjoy everything a garden has to offer. Digging in the rich soil, watching an eggplant grow, picking their very own basil to put in a dinner meal, spying on critters, sharing lunch with their fellow gardeners, doing yoga, and being creative and free. ABC's programs include a garden club for four and five year olds, gardening and nutrition classes for preschoolers, a youth food justice program, and an adult nutrition and gardening program which includes hands on cooking and yoga in the garden.