Lindsey Street has fond childhood memories of gardening with her family. Sunflowers often provided a bright backdrop of yellow in their yard in the summers. They also grew raspberries, strawberries, beans, tomatoes, and hot peppers.
Lindsey’s family enjoyed cooking with their fresh produce. She often watched her mom make spaghetti sauce, until one day when her mom said, "Lindsey, you are making the sauce today." Lindsey recalls that her dad, who typically did not eat spaghetti sauce, loved what Lindsey made: “After that, he would only eat my spaghetti sauce."
When the opportunity arose this summer to participate in a community garden, Lindsey enthusiastically agreed. Starbridge maintains a plot, one of about 100 in the Brighton Community Garden on Westfall Road. Lindsey visits once a week with Community Habilitation Counselor Kristen Clark to water and check on the zucchini, broccoli, carrots, squash, beans, and tomatoes. Starbridge’s garden is a collaborative effort of several people. "It’s a great opportunity for people to learn gardening skills and meet other people in the community," comments Neil Cavalieri, Community Living Manager at Starbridge, who spearheaded the project. "Once the vegetables are ready, people will be able to reap the benefits of fresh produce."
Cooking with fresh produce is something Lindsey values as part of a healthy lifestyle. She has fresh mint growing outside her apartment, and she has been thinking about ways she might be able to use it in recipes. She is also looking forward to the tomatoes from the community garden. She says with a smile, "I make a mean spaghetti sauce."