news-record.com

Margaret Pinnix, 80, learned to garden from her grandfather, and now the Warnersville community gardener is sharing her love of planting and growing with a younger generation.

Pinnix is one of several community volunteers sharing their hobbies and interests with children taking part in the first Warnersville Summer Youth Enrichment Program .

Sponsored by the Warnersville Community Coalition through a grant from Building Stronger Neighborhoods, the program is for ages 10 to 14 in the Hampton Homes, St. James Homes, J.T. Hairston Homes and Warnersville communities .

Since June 30 , 25 children have been meeting every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. to participate in writing, gardening, photography, leadership and etiquette workshops.

Though the children meet at Saint Phillip AME Zion Church, they often go on excursions to put what they’ve learned into action. For example, the children visited Pinnix to see her backyard vegetable garden and plant their own tomatoes in individual pots. They go back to Pinnix’s home periodically to fertilize and water them.

In addition, the children completed an etiquette workshop with Mary Ann Scarlette and will visit a restaurant this week to practice what they learned. Greensboro Police Chief Tim Bellamy, a local radio announcer and a Food Lion executive, will speak to the children about leadership, and Otis Hairston, president of the Warnersville Community Coalition and an avid photographer, will help them create a photo essay of their community.

The program will culminate with a trout fishing trip to the North Carolina mountains Aug. 13 and a formal program Aug. 15 where they will share their experiences and tomato gardens, exhibit their photographs and hear a speaker to get them excited about going back to school.

“We wanted to provide them exposure to life experiences they’ve probably never had,” Hairston said. “We hope this enlightens them and brings an awareness there’s more to life than what they experience every day.”

Hairston also hopes the children pass what they’ve learned on to their families, community and friends when school starts back.
“I hope for some, it even provides insight into where they want to go with their futures,” Hairston said.

Though the program runs through the summer, Hairston also hopes to build on the relationships made with the children by meeting with them on Saturdays occasionally during the school year. He also hopes to offer the program again next summer and increase the number of children served.

“I hope this helps keep them off the streets doing positive things with their lives and with their families,” he said.

Pinnix said steering children off the streets is one of the reasons she got involved, too.

“Too many kids don’t have anyone to take an interest in them,” she said.

Pinnix also hopes her love of gardening and sharing its rewards with others will rub off on some of her new, young friends.

“I’m loving watching them watch their plants grow,” she said with a laugh. She even challenged them to see who could grow the largest tomato.

“I hope it gives them the desire to grow something again next year and pass along what they’ve learned to others,” Pinnix said.

Contact Jennifer Atkins Brown at 574-5582 or jennifer.brown@news-record.com.