BCIC wishes to take a moment to remember and reflect on a project from 2014.
In 2014, BCIC recruited many partners to build the first neighborhood trail on an abandoned rail line.
The Belden Trail was born from the Samuel Belden spur railroad line and matured into a meandering trail that was landscaped and thoughtfully designed with a robust amount of public input from the people along its path.
This nearly 1-mile trail ends behind Skinner Elementary School, and that is where BCIC found a triangular-shaped piece of land in need of a purpose.
The Board voted to buy the lot and turn it into a community garden. That garden, like the trail, has been cared for since then by the Brownsville Wellness Coalition, and the most devoted and beloved gardeners were Ruth and Gene Novgrosky.
Gene and Ruth were transplants from New England and had passed through Brownsville to volunteer with Central American refugees in the late 80s and never left.
Lisa Mitchell Bennet recalls meeting them in 1992 at a “Global Awareness” club meeting at their house in West Brownsville. Their hospitality, wit, and interest in the world caught Lisa’s attention.
Drinking fresh-squeezed lemonade from their lime trees, and salad made with flowers and lettuce from her garden, they ended the evening with laughter and thought-provoking conversation.
Hospitality, poetry, activism, books, bicycles, and gardens are the things that Lisa and many others associate with Ruth and Gene over the past 3 decades. They had a positive impact on this community precisely because they were both about community. They invested in people, especially young people, and provided guidance and mentorship to many students over the years.
The community garden on Belden Trail has been named in honor of Ruth and Gene. It has produced fresh fruit and vegetables for many families since 2014 and today reaches 15 households and counting.
One only has to step inside to smell the plants, watch butterflies bounce from one plant to another, and feel life and joy.
Gardening not only provides healthy and fresh vegetables but has also been shown to improve self-esteem, benefit mental health, and build community. Small projects can touch many lives and grow enthusiastic champions like Gene and Ruth.
BCIC extends its gratitude to Gene, whose memory continues to inspire, and to Ruth as she moves to South Carolina to be with family. We shall never forget you, and we will treasure your legacy.
This article was originally written by Dr. Rose Gowen and Lisa Mitchell-Bennet and edited by Nelson Amaro.