A dozen Duke Alumni Association members spent a weekend volunteering with a community garden near Candlestick Park in San Francisco to promote environmental, social, and economic sustainability in their adopted community.
The ongoing service project between the Bay Area's Alumni Network and area non-profit, Literacy for Environmental Justice (LEJ), is a shining example of Duke graduates' efforts to share the important lessons of campus sustainability by getting involved in their future communities across the globe.
As a member of the Duke Alumni Association Board's Civic Engagement committee Christy Susman ('88) helped to expand Duke's commitment to "knowledge in service to society" by inviting alumni participation in the Duke Engage program's work in cities across the country. "I live in San Francisco and when the city was chosen as one of the pilot cities for the program, I became the point person for the project here," Susman said.
Interest in sustainable community development is an interest among Duke Engage and Alumni Association chapters across the country. According to Chris O'Neil ('95), Assistant Director of Regional Programs, "The idea is to upgrade the traditional alumni community service projects we have always done by selecting community partners and projects that allow for education and reflection on issues that are relevant to the lives of alumni participants."
Susman found LEJ by searching for area groups doing environmental work and interested in partnering on a continuing basis, allowing Duke Alumni to build relationships and connect with the organization's mission and work. On May 9th, the Duke alumi partnered with LE J and community youth to develop a native plants nursery project in their community garden at Candlestick Point.
LEJ is a coalition of youth, educators, and community leaders whose primary focus is addressing the ecological and health concerns of those living in Bayview Hunters Point -- a historically African American San Francisco neighborhood whose interests and population are generally under-served -- and the surrounding communities. The garden is the primary supplier of plant stock to two major restoration projects on the Bay, and actively works to educate the community about sustainable environmental practices such as composting, recycling and promoting the use of locally and organically grown foods.
