Volunteers Lend A Hand With Borough Gardens

For the second consecutive year, State College is turning to volunteers to help with the upkeep of its local flowerbeds.

The borough’s environmental coordinator, Alan Sam, said four of five employees are normally hired during the summer to maintain the eight flower beds and 15 flower pots around State College. But with less financial freedom the borough had to entertain alternatives, including eliminating the gardens.

Last year, the borough called on the community to help and found success. And though the response wasn’t as strong at the beginning this year, the gardens are still growing well.

‘After the initial planting stage, I am pleased with how things are coming along. The toughest thing is finding volunteers who can stick with it,’ said Cassandra Burke,  the head volunteer coordinator of the program.

Volunteers spend about eight hours a week, one hour per flower bed each day. Alan Sam said those who participate have the luxury of creating their own schedule and can even request to work on a particular flower bed or garden.

‘Some volunteers have a regular schedule and some come and go as they please,’ said Sam. ‘Different people try to do what they can, every little bit helps.’

Burke said there are 16 volunteers who tend to each of the eight flower beds and 15 flower pots on a weekly basis. Volunteers of this program are State College residents who take time out of their day to get down and dirty on their hands and knees in order to make sure that the flowerbeds around town are kept in pristine condition. And the results are not going unnoticed.

‘I always take time to notice the flowers and gardens whenever I am walking somewhere. It definitely gives the downtown area a nice touch,’ said Lindsay Reibold, a senior nursing major at Penn State.

With the rapid approach of Arts Festival, Sam was confident that the flower beds and gardens would be looking their best. ‘For the Arts Festival we will make sure they look as good as possible,’ he said.