Planting Justice Volunteer Day in Oakland

Thank you so much to Planting Justice who hosted our community day last week with one of our reentry court teams. It was a beautiful day in East Oakland surrounded by friendly faces, engaged participants and staff, and plants.

After sharing pastries and coffee in a yurt (yes, a yurt!), we took a tour of the facility that had native plants, fruits, vegetables, and foliage. The facility's history as a site for community gardens during Japanese internment camps inspired their current formation as a community-based effort to grow succulents and other garden plants.

We toured the muggy and hot greenhouses, pulled weeds to discover a variety of peppers and vegetables (like Okinawa Spinach), and shared in each other's company. It was a great reminder that spending a few hours basking in the sun with friends and colleagues is a great break from the demand of emails and meetings. We walked away a bit sweaty, covered in dirt and weeds, with smiles on our faces (and a few peaches and bananas!). Thank you to all who came and to Planting Justice for doing such amazing work in the reentry space!