It was a beautiful morning in the West Elementary garden as U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten and her staff visited to see firsthand the impact of H.O.P.E. Gardens programs. We were grateful to have West Elementary teachers Mitch Dahlstrom, who also serves on our H.O.P.E. Gardens team and manages this garden, and STEAM teacher Regan Koontz join the tour to share how garden-based learning is helping students connect with nature, healthy food, and their community.
Representative Scholten and her team were genuinely impressed by the garden, noting how productive, vibrant, and well-cared-for it is. They enjoyed sampling fresh produce right from the beds and even met a few of our young gardeners, including one student who participated in our summer family gardening program. Hillary asked him thoughtful questions about his experience and how plants grow, creating such a meaningful moment of connection.
Before leaving, the group received a small goodie bag filled with tokens of appreciation from the garden.
As Representative Scholten shared afterward:
“I walked through H.O.P.E. Gardens at West Elementary, an incredible anti-hunger initiative that exists to empower children, families, and communities to grow their own food and flourish.”
We are deeply thankful for her visit and for recognizing the power of teaching children to grow, taste, and share healthy food. Together, we’re cultivating more than gardens; we’re growing hope across our community.
