We Built A Space for Sharing

Teresa and Roberto Rodriguez, Community Gardeners at Fellowship Garden of Love at Holmes in Willowbrook, CA.

Community Gardener Spotlight

Teresa and Roberto Rodriguez still remember when the garden right next to their home in Willowbrook was a blighted vacant lot that attracted a great deal of illegal dumping. Even then they would find themselves whacking away the overgrown weeds trying to keep it as clean as possible. At that time the nearest park they could enjoy was over 2 miles away.

When the garden was built in 2016, now called Fellowship Garden of Love at Holmes, they finally had a space to grow fresh food. These days they treat their visits to the park as a way to “distraerse” or unwind, sometimes becoming so focused on their garden work that it’s nighttime before they know it. Since COVID, getting out of the house has become harder. The garden makes the time during quarantine more bearable. Teresa and Roberto are proud of their crops and believe in sharing the harvest, often handing out fruits and vegetables to curious people passing by.

The Fellowship Garden of Love at Holmes is the first communal garden Neighborhood Land Trust developed. Opened in partnership with the Office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Fellowship Baptist Church, LA County Library, LA County Public Health, and Barack Obama Elementary School, garden beds are not rented by individual gardeners. Instead, the neighbors work as a team to grow crops to share among themselves and the community. It's a unique and sometimes challenging model, but one that has thrived thanks to the continuous efforts of gardeners like Teresa and Roberto who give their time and energy to maintain the space.