SEAFORD, Del. -- People in the City of Seaford have come together to plan and build a new community garden that began with a simple Facebook post.
President and founder of The Seaford Community Garden - a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization - Cassandra Dayton has had a passion for gardening since she was a young girl, and now she's using it to serve, unify, and inspire others. In March, after suffering from a stroke at just 43 years old, Dayton took to a local Facebook page to share her idea.
"Within a 24-hour period of time of me just asking, 'why doesn't Seaford have a community garden?', I then was blessed with a couple councilman from the city, as well as a land donator," Dayton says.
City of Seaford councilman Jose Santos was one of the first people to dig into the concept.
"I've always thought the city can be whatever you want it to be and this is how you get things done," Santos says.
Aleman Fitzgerald Properties, LLC and Family donated a portion of their property for the garden, which will have two different layouts to serve different people in the community. One will be on the corner of Pearl and High Streets in downtown Seaford, with free, raised garden beds for veterans and seniors. The other will be behind it, also with raised garden beds for people in the community that would like to rent a bed to grow their own produce. The area will include shareable benches, a book nook, a play area for children, tables with games like chess, and a compost bin.
Dayton is currently working with a team of nine others, though they welcome and are always looking for new volunteers to raise money and assemble the garden.
"Cassandra was the brains behind it and now we're trying to help her finish her great deed that she's put out there for us," says Diana Wambold, a member-at-large for The Seaford Community Garden.
One way the group does this is through their "Sip and Paint" events where people paint and decorate items that will eventually be sold on their website. The group has also had an opportunity to give back to the community by donating funds to the local Boy Scouts, Troop 249.
Dayton says that the group is looking for volunteers and sponsors to donate funds, as well as their time and labor to help bring the garden to life. All sponsors will be recognized with the name of their business or organization listed on a decorative flower in the garden.
The Seaford Community Garden is looking forward to their next event on Oct. 8, where members of the Seaford High School football team and Boy Scout Troop 249 will build a fence for the garden. Garden organizers hope to have the garden complete and open to the community by April 2023.
