ATHENS-Students and parents participating in a program to combat school tardiness, absenteeism and drop-out rates will work this summer in the dirt.
The students and parents who are part of the Truancy Intervention Program are going to volunteer on Tuesdays at the Athens Farmers Market Community Garden in downtown Athens. Groups will come from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and 3 to 4:30 p.m. starting with an orientation on June 9 and volunteering in the gardens beginning June 16 and ending Aug. 11.
The Truancy Intervention Program is collaboration between Athens State University and 
the Limestone County Juvenile Court. TIP acts as a liaison between students, parents, teachers, school administrators, truancy officers, court and community agencies. Athens State criminal justice professor Quanda Stevenson created TIP in 2012. It is an interactive after-school and summer program requiring children ages 5 to 18 years old who are identified by their school, parent, family court, or other community agencies to participate in a program linking them to educational services outside of the school setting.
The Farmers Market Community Garden is collaboration between Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful, Spirit of Athens, City of Athens, and Limestone County and is located on West Green Street at the Farmers Market pavilion. It includes various types of gardens including container beds, keyhole beds and hugelkultur beds, which are beds made from rotting wood and mounds of dirt.
“This is truly a great example of teaching, learning and collaborating within the community,” said Stevenson, who is helping coordinate the TIP community service project.
TIP requires the child and his or her parent to complete community service hours. Stevenson said these service hours allow parents and their children to learn how to assist others in need, how to work on a team project, and how to value the outcome of a finished project.
Athens State biology professor Sara Cline will assist with the biology education aspect of the project. Amanda Smith, an Athens State student majoring in biology and criminal justice, is coordinating the TIP volunteers as part of her summer independent study project. She said weekly activities for participants will include weeding, harvesting, recording types and amounts of vegetables harvested, and delivering produce to Limestone County Churches Involved for its food bank.
“We hope the children and their families will enjoy the opportunity to learn more about the scientific approach to planting and harvesting while also learning how to value work and creating a good work ethic,” Stevenson said.
Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful Executive Coordinator Lynne Hart said volunteers keep the Community Garden project ongoing. It began in 2013 with a $20,000 Lowe’s/Keep America Beautiful Grant.
“KALB is so pleased to have volunteers from the community willing to take time to help with the garden and in turn provide fresh produce to neighbors in need,” Hart said. “The involvement of the Truancy Intervention Program students will offer them the opportunity to be involved in something they can feel good about. Each and every volunteer is a gift to the Community Garden.”
Trisha Black
Volunteers and the Community Garden Committee will plant cherry tomatoes, squash, beans, okra and other produce. There will be a sign-up sheet where residents and other community groups like the TIP group can register to volunteer throughout the season. On Tuesday, June 9, for example, members of Athens High School’s Pi Beta Sigma will seal the gazebo and pull weeds and fix the landscaping around the gazebo. They will be working from noon to 2:30 p.m. Those interested in volunteering can contact Hart at 256-233-8728 or by email at info@keepathenslimestonebeautiful.com.
Spirit of Athens Executive Director Trisha Black said the Athens Farmers Market Community Garden is promoting interest in downtown and providing citizens opportunities to volunteer downtown. SOA operates the Athens Saturday Market at the Farmers Market pavilion on Saturdays in June through August from 8 a.m. to noon. Saturday, June 6 was opening day for the market.
“Our Athens Saturday Market benefits from the efforts being made to bring volunteers in and provide fresh produce to our local food bank because our citizens have become invested in our downtown, our garden project and our Saturday Market,” Black said.
