The Lighthouse Christian Ministries (LCM) Community Garden volunteers picked and distributed 1,020 lbs. of produce to our neighbors throughout 2019. In 2015, K.E. Little Elementary School in Bacliff was selected as the site for a community garden that would be the beginning of a successful partnership between the school, Lighthouse Christian Ministries and community volunteers.
“The community garden is a great source of fresh produce for our neighbors in need,” said Erika Steele, Executive Director for Lighthouse Christian Ministries. “The garden is completely volunteer driven, and we are always looking for people with a green thumb and dirt under their fingernails to help out.”
The two-fold mission for the garden was to establish an outdoor laboratory for the students who attend K.E. Little, and to provide fresh produce for LCM to distribute to the community through its food assistance ministry. Most of the produce is distributed at the twice monthly Food Fair mobile distributions in Bacliff and San Leon. Since its inception, the community garden has evolved into a place where the community gathers to take advantage of the outdoor stage and park benches that decorate the garden perimeter.
Initially established by Clear Lake Presbyterian Church, the garden enjoys the talents and gifts of countless volunteers who have instituted many innovative horticultural techniques. The garden managers created a drip tubing watering system, solar panels, composting beds, and a system to capture, retain and pump rainwater. These methods have been successful in growing kale, lettuce and other root vegetables during the winter months, and cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, squash and peas during the spring and summer.
The newest venture for the garden is creating a butterfly and hummingbird habitat where the students and community can visit and experience first-hand the wonders of nature. For more information about the community garden, go to www.lighthousecm.org/community-garden.
Lighthouse Christian Ministries
Dr. Larry C. Acker, Development Director
800 Grand Ave., Bacliff TX 77518
281-339-3033 ext. 315, larry@lighthousecm.org
