Gardening

Growing Skills, Confidence, and Community

The Gardening Program at Echo is about more than just plants—it’s about planting hope. By gardening alongside our youth, you help them learn patience, teamwork, and the joy of watching something they’ve nurtured come to life.

There are three ways to get involved: Volunteer, Donate, or join our Kick-off Event!

1. Volunteer: Mentor Side-by-Side

Share your love of gardening while mentoring youth as they grow vegetables and herbs to use in their own cooking.

• What You’ll Do: Guide residents (groups of 3-6) through planting, watering, weeding, and harvesting.
• When: Seasonal (Spring-Fall). Times are somewhat flexible on weekdays after 3:00 PM or on weekends.
• Team Leads: We are looking for volunteers with some gardening experience to help lead cottage teams. No “master gardener” status required—just a willing heart!

2. Donate: Provide the Essentials

Help us fill our 8 deer-proof garden beds with life! We are currently seeking:

• Supplies: Quality bedding soil and compost.
• Seeds & Starts: Carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapeños, potatoes, sugar pumpkins, and blueberry bushes.
• Seed Packets: Any vegetable varieties are welcome.

3. Join Us: Earth Day Campus Beautification Party

Saturday, April 25th | 10:00 AM

Help us kick off the season with a high-energy cleanup and planting day! We’ll be working together to refresh all 8 garden beds, build new galvanized beds for two cottages, and beautify the entire campus.

• RSVP HERE
• First-Time Visitors (21+ limited spots): We’d love to have you join us! To facilitate a quick background check, you will be asked on the SignUp Genius form to to give your Date of Birth and the last 4 digits of your SSN on a secure Jotform platform. 

Ready to get started?

EMAIL US to volunteer, donate supplies, or ask a question. Let’s make a visible difference together!