These young people have quickly found themselves at home in Brook Park. It’s a place where they can let their guard down and experience the restorative power of nature. “When we have them restoring community gardens, or harvesting vegetables to sell at the local farmers markets, they stop thinking of themselves as the problem, and start seeing themselves as part of the solution,” says program coordinator Ray Figueroa.
For Brook Park, growing peppers with Small Axe Peppers supports their “triple bottom line.” It’s not just financially rewarding, but it reinforces the environmental and social benefits of the garden as well.
Each bottle of hot sauce purchased directly supports Rockaway Youth Task Force and many other gardens with vibrant social missions to strengthen the fabric of urban neighborhoods.
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