Hi, My name is Victoria. I am a senior at Natchitoches Central High School. My involvement in 4-H helped me understand the importance of healthy living and community service. Serving on 4-H's Food and Fitness State Leadership team taught the importance of healthy living and awareness to the harmful effects of food insecurity. This sparked a passion for creating a community educational garden. A $20,000 dollar "Lots of Compassion” grant was secured through KidsGardening Mrs. Meyer'sCleanDay who shared a belief that a garden has the power to do more than grow flowers and herbs. The goal is to grow people, communities and kindness. This national grant was awarded to transform an empty and abandoned lot into a compassionate garden. We were blessed to secure this grant with the support of 4-H, Natchitoches Parish School Board, and the City of Natchitoches. Dr. Eloi and Mayor Williams have supported the efforts to help our students and community every step of the way by matching resources and services to get this garden started. The garden is located between East Natchitoches Elementary and the St. Mary's Baseball behind East Natchitoches, walking distance between three schools. Victoria's educational garden has a pavilion, 9 raised garden beds, storage facility, and recyclable gardens. My goal for the garden is to educate the youth about gardening and healthy living. The Garden is a pillar for the community's access.