Earth Day is a time to celebrate the diversity and beauty of our planet, as well as to promote the protection of the environment. It is also a day to remember how we are all citizens of a shared world, in which no one has a greater right to the Earth’s resources than another. We are all part of a common home.
At JRS UK, caring for our common home goes hand in hand with caring for one another. As part of our creative and well-being activities programme, refugee friends can take part in our gardening project – planting new seeds, maintaining green spaces, and harvesting fresh fruit and vegetables!
Many of the vegetables make their way into meals prepared by our wonderful cooking team for our fortnightly social drop-in, or into healthy meals prepared by refugee friends at home.
Beyond food, gardening and spending time in green spaces can have a positive impact on your mental health – reducing stress, easing anxiety, and fostering a sense of calm and purpose.
Abubeker is a member of the gardening project here at JRS UK, working to improve the green spaces at the centre:
“Over the past year, I have really enjoyed being part of the gardening activities. We have planted different plants – flowers, herbs and vegetables, and it was a great experience to watch them grow over time. I first became interested in gardening during a difficult time when I was homeless. Someone introduced me to a community garden, and it helped me feel calm and connected to people.”
Since Abubeker first joined the gardening project, it has grown significantly with more friends getting involved, planting more challenging crops, and building new gardening spaces: “We also worked together to build a greenhouse, which was an interesting part of the project. Although we haven’t started using the greenhouse yet, it was great to be involved in building it and to learn how it will help us to grow more plants in the future.”
“Throughout this experience, I have learnt new skills around planting, watering, and taking care of the garden regularly. My favourite part is watching the plants and flowers grow. I find gardening relaxing and rewarding, and I feel proud to see the flowers bloom and the vegetables grow from the work we did together. We use the vegetables; we harvest them for cooking and sometimes get the chance to share them with other people.”
Abubeker’s experience reminds us that gardens are more than green spaces – they are vital places where community takes root, reflecting the principles of Catholic Social Teaching to care for creation and solidarity with others. We are deeply grateful to our friends and volunteers at JRS UK for their hard work and generosity, which helps our shared green spaces flourish year-round.
This Earth Day, we celebrate the people, plants, and the common home we are called to protect.
