Students grow food on Atlanta high school roof to help feed community

ATLANTA — Some local students have been busy tilling soil this summer to grow vegetables for residents in need.

They planted the garden along on the roof of Maynard Jackson High School in Southeast Atlanta.

“It’s really important to give organic produce to the community and show them what we can produce in such a small space and the benefits from it. It’s amazing,” said gardening intern Christian Thomas.

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From hot peppers to tomatoes to squash, what’s grown on the roof is given to local residents in need.

“Really fulfilling for students to be able to take the things that they have worked hard and reaped and give,” said Brenda Isaac from One Love Learning Foundation.

Isaac’s One Love Learning Foundation teamed up with the school and Center Park Credit Union, which funded this effort.

“In Atlanta there are food deserts and so this is one way to erase those food deserts, so we felt this was very important for us to support,” said Center Park Credit Union’s Andrea Hansberry.

Thomas said he’s proud to be a part of the effort. He said he has learned a lot about gardening and giving.

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“It’s hours of hard labor for sure, well worth it, definitely,” Thomas said.

Thomas is one of four paid interns at the garden and this community service helped him earn a full college scholarship.

Dozens of students at Maynard Jackson High School also work in the garden.

New perk for SNAP families - start your own garden Half-priced starter plants and garden kids will be distributed to SNAP families as part of Earth Day at the Love is Love Farm (WSB-Tv)

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