The New Horizons Community Garden is an innovative, sustainable community Garden planned for East Garfield Park. The project is being spearheaded by a consortium of organizations including CoreNet Global Chicago Chapter, Chicago Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council; Openlands, the Chicago Center for Green Technology, the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, Shed Studio and The Boeing Corporation.
Bovis Lend Lease Workday Summary - Thursday, September 25, 2008
On Thursday, September 26, on a beautiful Fall Day, the Community Reinvestment Committee (CRC) welcomed the staff of Bovis Lend Lease for a Day of Community Service at New Horizons Community Garden. Elliot Gentry-Fernandez, Project Manger, Bovis Lend Lease ably lead his colleagues in a meaningful exercise in team building and contribution to the neighborhood.
Dressed in jeans and work boots, the group assembled at the NH site at 9:00 am. The New Horizons team was on-hand to welcome the team with food and drink and ?grass-roots' training in sustainability. Jon Bolander, Landscape Architect of Hitchcock design worked with the team to lay-out the garden beds. Shortly thereafter Hampshire Farms delivered a truckload of native plantings to be transferred to the specified garden beds. Acorn Fencing arrived on the scene with a foreman to lead the group in the repair of the metal fencing surrounding the property, and to continue the construction of the wooden fence at the back of the lot.
The group of about twenty people quickly formed teams to work on the fence repair and construction, and to plant the large gardens on the North and South sides of the property.
During their lunch break. With box lunches supplied by Chris Glatz and her CoreNet team, the team gathered around the picnic table for healthy refreshments, and a short presentation on the Garden and sustainability from Mike Newman, Principal of Shed Studio, NH Partner and Landscape Architect.
By the close of the afternoon, with tired muscles and a sense of accomplishment, the group looked with amazement at the transformation of the lot into a beautiful display native plants and grasses.
On behalf of the Chicago Chapter of CoreNet and New Horizons Community Garden we extend our sincere appreciation for the hard work and spirit the Bovis Lend Lease team brought to Garfield Park.
If you are interested in experiencing the New Horizons Community Garden workday with your team to please contact Sharon Krohn or Mirela Gabrovska.
AT&T Workday Summary - Friday, August 22, 2008
In spite of inclement weather, 15 volunteers assembled on Friday, August 22, for another Workday on behalf of the New Horizons Community Garden. Members of the CoreNet Chicago Board and its Emerging Leaders committee joined the AT&T team and friends in a true team effort.
The first shift began their work at 8:00 a.m., digging holes, pouring cement and erecting posts for a new cedar fence on the South East corner of the site. Later in the day, lumber donated by Chicago Lumber Association was delivered and the second shift participants joined the group to install the fence. With the proficient team of volunteer carpenters doing a combination of sawing, drilling, leveling and hammering, the brand new fence was completed by day's end. The teams also aided in mulching beds and trees, making minor repairs on the North West corner chain link fence and in spreading top soil and leveling the South East section of the garden.
Spearheaded by CoreNet Global Chicago Chapter and a consortium of organizations including the Chicago Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), AIA Young Leaders, Shed Studio, the Openlands Project and The Boeing Corporation, the New Horizons Community Garden will bring a lush, innovative green environment to a community in the midst of a revitalization and named one of America's "up and coming neighborhoods" by Business Week magazine. The project will also provide neighborhood youth with stipends for work and education. If you'd like to join us or donate to New Horizons, contact Sharon Krohn at Sharon@RealEstateExecutiveSearch.com; Mirela Gabrovska, at m.gabrovska@mbgconsulting.com; or John Wickman at jwichman@riisborg.com.
Board Workday Summary
- July 18, 2008
On a sweltering Summer Friday, the Community Reinvestment Committee (CRC) welcomed Members and Friends of the Boards of the USGBC and CoreNet for a Volunteer Day at New Horizons Community Garden.
The group assembled at The First Church of the Brethren at 9:00, before heading to the work site for coffee. At the site, which had been groomed and maintained by the Youth Garden Corps during the spring and early summer months, the group was greeted by Pastor Orlando. Those who had participated in prior workdays were amazed that the planters built by work teams in the spring now overflowed with a lush abundance of vegetables and herbs including squash, zucchini, collard greens and beets.
Mirela Gabrovska, CRC Co Chair, welcomed more then thirty participants and Doug Weidner, USGBC Executive Director, offered an introduction to the garden. Rashmi Ramaswamy, NH Design Director provided instruction on layout and design and Bret Voyt, NH Project Manager, and John Wickman, Emerging Leaders Chair were on-hand to lead the day with direction on the specific tasks to be accomplished. Throughout the day Church and Community members, friends and family stopped by to pick up a shovel or drill and to lend support.
Chris Glatz was on hand with drill and hammer ? she also provided refreshments and healthy snacks throughout the day as well as an elegant lunch of croissants and drinks to nourish the team as they toiled.
Dressed in jeans, shorts and work boots, sporting green and periwinkle Hew Horizons signature tee shirts, the group formed work teams of Weedwackers, Sawers and Builders. The teams set to their assigned tasks and chatted amicably as they worked indefatigably in 90+ degree-heat to clear the area of overgrown weeds, underbrush and debris, to level the ground, and to build and install the 18 newly constructed cedar planters. A highlight of the day was the arrival of the huge dump truck that backed into the garden to discharge a mountain of rich garden soil onto the cleared center of the site.
As the group completed its assigned tasks, with exhausted satisfaction everyone stopped to enjoy the transformation of the site; the now-cleared areas with completed planters fixed, leveled and ready to be filled with soil and plantings. Along with a day of hearty exercise, sun and sweat, New Horizons Volunteer Workday brought our participants together in camaraderie, in the spirit of support for each other and for our Community.
On behalf of the Chicago Chapter of CoreNet and New Horizons Community Garden we extend our sincere appreciation for your hard work.
New Horizons Community Garden Project Update - June 2008
The New Horizons Garden activity is progressing vigorously this Spring with an ongoing schedule of volunteer workdays and community planting. The support and leadership John Wickman, Jen Clune and all of our energetic, CoreNet Emerging Leaders has been invaluable!
New Horizons welcomes Brett Vogt of the Cullie Group, who has volunteered to serve as construction project manager for our project! Over the past weeks Brett has met with the Garden Steering Committee and has taken the reins in advancing the construction of the structural elements of the park.
Brett has been working with our structural engineers to review the architects plans and will shortly finalize the design and drawings for some of the major elements of the garden ? the steel structures for the wall and the canopies? so that we can begin the construction phase of the project.
Our team is working with members of the AISC - American Institute of Steel Construction - regarding a donation of the steel for the canopies?by far the largest single expense item of the project. In addition we are speaking with contractors who can provide the labor for the steel fabrications and installation and we are considering a number of candidates for donation of concrete and labor.
We will keep you informed of our progress.
Please contact us to learn how you can participate in the CRC - The New Horizons Garden.
CoreNet Chicago Community Reinvestment Committee Participates in Inaugural Kennedy King College Urban Earth Day Celebration Supporting New Hope and Opportunity for Englewood - April 23, 2008
This week CoreNet Chicago Community Reinvestment Committee participated in the Kennedy-King College Inaugural Urban Earth Day Celebration which was held on the campus of the school at 6343 South Halsted Street on Tuesday, April 22, 2008, which was designed to address the urgent need to respond to life threatening environmental issues and to offer solution driven green initiatives and emerging green economic opportunities.
The public event included a green Eco-fest, interactive green education modules, recycling demonstrations, eco-friendly- fuel and transportation alternatives, organic gardening tips and food samples, prizes and a healthy globe art display. The members of the New Horizons steering committee we on hand to respond to questions from young and old, and to discuss the Community Garden in Garfield park.
Dr. Bonnie Harrison, anthropologist, KKC professor and Urban Earth Day co-chair points to alarming realities that underscore the urgent need for African Americans to get involved with the ecology movement, Englewood leads the nation in lead poisoning cases, unclean air contributes to the areas high asthma rate; and, obesity is rising due to a lack of fresh produce in our communities. Harrison says empowering people with information is the best way to reverse these trends.
Other participants in the KKC Green event included: The Greater Englewood Finding Food Coalition (GEFFC); The Kennedy- King College Library; BIG: Blacks in Green; Kennedy-King Continuing Education Program; Teamwork Englewood; Jane Addams Hull House Association; The University of Chicago Civic Knowledge Project; Imagine Englewood If; Kennedy King Applied Sciences.
New Horizons Volunteer Day a Great Success - March 29, 2008
On the sunny spring Saturday, March 29, the CoreNet Emerging Leaders hosted the first volunteer work day at the New Horizons Community Garden. Congratulations to John Wichman, Riis Borg Construction for chairing a fun wonderfully successful kick-off event!
Under the direction of the New Horizons Steering Committee, dozens of volunteers joined the CoreNet Emerging Leaders, General CoreNet Members, and other Chicago Real Estate professionals, to work alongside community members, digging, shoveling, lifting, hammering and sawing to benefit the Garfield Park Community. Work teams completed a variety of tasks including: site clean up and preparation, removal of the existing raised garden beds, and construction of the new community planters.
Special thank you to Waste Management for the donation of a waste receptacle and service. Finally, a very special thank you for everyone who contributed, we couldn't have done it with out you!
There are sponsorship opportunities available and we are still in need of a Construction Manager.
Work days planned for April include April 19th and April 30th. Contact CRC chairperson Sharon Krohn at sharon@RealEstateExecutiveSearch.com to volunteer.
As we begin the implementation phase of this innovative community development, we are looking to our members for support to insure the success of our efforts:
Labor, Site Management, and Construction Supervision Donations
In-kind donations of pro-bono building & construction services will be acknowledged based on specific contribution.
Materials & Supply Donations
In-kind donations of building materials and supplies will be acknowledged based on specific contribution.
November 28 CoreNet Chicago Community Reinvestment Committee (CRC) hosted dinner at the East Garfield Park Open Space Community meeting at the Garfield Park Conservatory for the presentation of the design for the New Horizons Community Garden by the members of the architectural team.
New Horizons Steering Committee members Sharon, (CoreNet), Jaime Zaplatosch, (Education Projects Coordinator, Openlands), Rashmi Ramaswamy, (SHED Studio), Michael Partner (Shed Studio) were in attendance.
As a result of the meeting held last month which was attended by Japanese Architect Reyuchi, plans for the garden will updated, revised and resubmitted to the steering committee. These plans were reviewed with the members of the community in attendance at the meeting.
The development timeline was presented and the members of the community provided the team with their enthusiastic input and feedback.
New Horizons Development timeline:
October Community Workshop I
November Community Workshop II and design rework
Winter '08 Obtain Materials & Donations
March - July Design/Build
Summer '08 Opening Celebration
Next Steps:
We are looking for a volunteer to assist the team with Graphics support as we develop a new logo and signage for the project.
John Wickman has committed to producing signage that for the project which will include the names of steering committee Partners that will be placed on the community garden site.
Hospital administrator still must provide written commitment.
Steering committee will develop detailed plan including timeline and resource requirements including material and expertise for contribution from our membership.
The CoreNet Chicago is participating in the development of a sustainable community garden in Chicago's economically challenged East Garfield Park neighborhood. The project, called New Horizons, is being spearheaded by a consortium of organizations, which includes the CoreNet Global Chicago Chapter, Chicago Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), AIA Young Leaders, Shed Studio, the Openlands Project and Boeing.
