The Sustainable Living Project is getting veterans back into society through the construction of their Veteran Garden, set to open Feb. 16.
“We thought if we did something here that would welcome veterans, they may enjoy coming to see where their food is coming from and engaging in fellowship with other veterans here,” Will Carey, the project’s operations manager, said.
Located at 918 W Sligh Ave., The Sustainable Living Project works to grow food and to teach sustainable living techniques.
“I’ve done a couple of little grow boxes at my house and from what I see here, I can change a lot of things to make it a lot better,” Kenneth Jackson, a volunteer, said.
Carey, who’s worked 20 years in the field of hunger related issues, wanted to do something for veterans. All food is being donated to those in need.
“Everything else we’ve been doing here is going to folks that needed healthier alternatives injected into their diet,” Carey said. “We deal with a lot of homelessness, and veterans make up a good portion of that.”
Carey, who sees this as a stepping stone to other gardens, says these types of programs will only get bigger and become more accessible to everyone.
The Sustainable Living Project opened on Earth Day in 2013.