Props To These Crops!

With my upcoming Bat Mitzvah, I started to research a variety of mitzvah project ideas.  I always wanted to plant a garden so I decided that my mitzvah project would be the perfect opportunity to plant a garden and donate the crops to a local food bank.

I had read about Katie’s Krops, a non-profit
organization led by a South Carolina girl to encourage youth to grow
gardens to feed the hungry. Katie’s Krops offers grants during the year
for youth ages 9-16. I applied for a grant and was excited to be
selected.

Sophie in her GardenPlanting a garden has taught me some valuable lessons about patience as I
wait for the vegetables to grow. I have learned to be responsible from the
daily watering of the garden, a true appreciation for rain that helps ease
my responsibility of watering the garden, and how to deal with frustration
when rabbits, birds and squirrels nibble in my garden. Fortunately, I
quickly learned to problem-solve by purchasing netting and a small fence
to surround and cover the vegetable garden.  The best part of my gardening
experience is that I get to give back to the community while hooking my
family into gardening. We all like to go out and watch the green peppers
grow, the tomatoes multiply and turn red and watch the bees pollinate over
the garden.

Submitted by :  Sophie Bernstein, a May, 2013 bat mitzvah from St. Louis, MO.  As aVolunTEEN Nation Ambassador, she organizes youth in her community to promote service and to collectively engage youth to drive change.