Inspiring Change, Connecting Community, & Championing for Community Gardens!

by Freddy Soza

As the first signs of spring emerge, tulips stretch toward the sun and garlic shoots push through the soil. These seasonal changes remind us that growth takes patience, care, and a little hope. Throughout our community garden network in Lawrence that same magic unfolds—serving as a living reminder of what’s possible when we work together. By combining food access, education, youth engagement, and community gardening, we nurture both the land and the people who rely on it.

As we head into the 2026 growing season—a time of planting, tending, and nurturing—we’re reminded of the support it takes to maintain these gardens and provide the community with the beauty and benefits of growing their own food. That support often begins with people who believe in this work and take action to uplift it. One such advocate is Kathryn Findlen, Store Trainer at Whole Foods Market in Andover, who recognized GWL impact and nominated Groundwork Lawrence for a Whole Foods Market Foundation Community First Grant. Through her initiative, we received $10,000 in funding. This generous support strengthens our garden infrastructure and helps create welcoming spaces where families can grow food, learn, and connect with their neighbors.

Kathyrn’s connection to green space intertwines with Lawrence’s industrial history. When factories in Lawrence needed labor, work recruiters went to Lebanon, bringing workers like Kathryn’s great-grandmother to the country. Growing up, Kathryn learned the value of tending watermelon, squash, and butter beans from her great-grandmother; these lessons instilled a lifelong commitment to food access, organic farming, and community education.

At Whole Foods, Kathryn aligns the foundations priorities with local impact, embodying the company’s core values of “finding win-win partnerships.” For her, supporting GWL was a natural choice seeing firsthand the confidence, respect, and pride with which Green Team youth carry themselves. Reflecting on her experience attending Glow Gala last November and her subsequent conversations with Green Team youth, she shared, “You’re on the ground, making things happen every day.”

Beyond the grant, Kathryn is working with the Whole Foods Market Foundation’s Team Member Engagement Program to create more opportunities for team members to volunteer, learn, and engage directly with our gardens. In doing so, she’s helping to grow not just our spaces, but the network of people who sustain them.

This spring we invite you to be part of this effort: volunteer, donate, or share our story. Let’s keep growing food, gardening, and community!