We did it! The inaugural meeting of the Growing the Greenway Action Committee started off with a bang on Wednesday night at Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center. The Action Committee consists of over 25 community members and organizational partners whose mission is to advocate for and create community gardens along the Lafitte Greenway, which will improve health outcomes of local residents, strengthen neighborhood bonds, support environmental stewardship education, and foster economic growth in the Lafitte Corridor. The committee voted to adopt the Mission and Vision of the Committee, and the Building Our Local Food Economy: A Strategic Action Plan for the Lafitte Corridor, available for download at lafittegreenway.org/lflp1

The committee also formed four subcommittees to develop and plan Growing the Greenway. The subcommittees are-

• Management, to create a management and use plan for equitable inclusion in the garden management and activities;
• Design, to lead site analysis for the community garden and create site plan/build-out specifics;
• Programming, to create a program design for the community gardens; and
• Finance, to identify funding for the implementation of the community gardens.

The committee agreed to hold monthly 90-minute meetings that will include a general Action Committee Meeting, as well as Subcommittee Meetings. The next Growing the Greenway Action Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 30th, at 5:30. Location TBD.

All community members, growers, and stakeholders are welcome to join the Action Committee! To join, please attend our next meting. Stay tuned for more details!