The Autonomous Garden at Hilda L. Solis Care First Village Promotes Healing and Education for Its Residents
At the Hilda L. Solis Care First Village (operated by the Weingart Center) sits a beautiful, self-sustaining autonomous garden, designed to promote healing and community engagement for clients.
The “Abolitionist Self-Sustaining Pod and Autonomous Garden”-- created and installed by The Crenshaw Dairy Mart (CDM) -- is a fully functioning garden designed to encourage sustainable habits and cultivate fresh fruits and vegetables for residents of the Care First Village. The garden promotes a sense of community, tranquility, and ownership among the residents. The function of the abolitionist pod is supplemented by CDM-lead workshops and events.
The first workshop, taught by Devorah, was a success. Residents learned about the benefits of essential oils, planted garden herbs, and created tubes of medicinal oil using the plants that grow in the garden.
The Crenshaw Dairy Mart will host additional workshops and events through August 2022. The workshop series is designed to help the Care First Village residents with life skills, care for vegetation, help with job placement, build a professional resume, and more. Supplies are provided – all our residents need to do is create.
Upcoming workshops include:
Art Workshop: An hour-long guided art session that promotes stress release and freedom of expression.
Building Healthy Soil: Residents will gain hands-on experience with this unique method of composting and learn why soil health is essential to the plants we grow.
Basic Planting and Propagation: This class covers the basics of planting from seed in various conditions and transplanting and basic propagation.
Native Plants and Seed Saving: This informational workshop will equip residents with knowledge of native plants, the benefits of native planting, and seed saving.
Herbs and Teas: Residents will learn the benefits of planting herbs and how to use them for cooking and making teas.
About the Hilda L. Solis First Care Village: The Hilda L. Solis Care First Village provides a home for unsheltered residents of Los Angeles and serves as a stepping stone through housing, wellness, and employment. This 60,500 square-foot interim housing is one of Weingart Center’s solutions to end homelessness proactively.
About The Crenshaw Dairy Mart: Just South of Manchester and off Crenshaw stands tall a former dairy mart, home to an artist collective and art gallery dedicated to shifting the trauma-induced conditions of poverty and economic injustice, bridging cultural work and advocacy, and investigating ancestries through the lens of Inglewood and its community.
All photos are copyrighted Weingart Center Association, 2022. All rights reserved.
For permission to use our photos, contact our Development team.
