Events

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS DONATE TIME TO PREPARE GARDENS FOR SENIOR RESIDENTS OF PUBLIC HOUSING

Contact: Rick Villarreal
Phone: (915) 202-9830
Email: rvillarreal5@yisd.net
Location: Paisano Green Public Housing, 4000 East Paisano Drive, El Paso TX 79905
Saturday, March 7, 2020
9:00 am – 3:00 pm MST

On Saturday, March 7, 2020, from 9 am to 3 pm, under the leadership of the Riverside High School, Electrical Trades and Solar Technology class, a coalition of community volunteers will gather to donate their time, money, tools and energy to refresh the keyhole gardens located at the Paisano Green public housing for seniors located at 4000 East Paisano Drive, El Paso, TX.

Student volunteers will prepare the soil, add new compost and organic fertilizer, and plant seeds in the six gardens that have been providing a variety of fresh fruits and vegetable for residents since they were built in 2015.

The coalition was created to ensure that these gardens, highly suited to the arid desert environment continue to enhance the food supply for the residents of Paisano Green. The residents tend and manage the gardens; the keyhole gardens, developed in Africa, are designed to turn food waste to create compost, use less water and facilitate garden maintenance without having to bend over. These unique gardens were built at the Paisano Green property in 2015 through a larger coalition of community organizations that wanted to add to the resources for the residents in this award-winning sustainable community. Over time and usage, the soil in the gardens has become hard and needs aerating to continue to yield a high harvest level. The addition of new compost and organic fertilizer will ensure that the gardens continue to provide a high level of produce in the 2020 spring and summer growing cycles.

The project is a partnership of Riverside High School (RHS), the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso, Eco El Paso, and El Paso Permaculture. Missions of the involved partners demonstrate a shared commitment to ensuring the economic future of our community, availability of adequate public housing, food security, and the quality of a built environment that is in harmony with our unique desert life.

• The RHS Electrical Trades and Solar Technology Program is preparing high school students for high-skills/high-wage employment in the electrical industry, including the ability to secure a certificate for solar installation from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, a coveted certification by solar installation companies for their employees.

• The Housing Authority of the City of El Paso (HACEP), through its hallmark sustainable residence for seniors at Paisano Green, with solar and wind technology, is a leader in renewable energy and food security for its residents.

• Eco El Paso is a community organization dedicated to sustainability in the hot arid climate of our area, taking a leadership position in the promotion of solar energy and electrical vehicles.

• El Paso Permaculture is dedicated to the ethics of caring for the earth, caring for people and produce consumption, reproduction and surplus redistribution in our community.

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www.EcoElPaso.org