QVNA President's Letter

Now More Than Ever, Working Together

by Eleanor Ingersoll, QVNA President

Hello Neighbors,

These past six months have been a roller coaster to say the least. What once were accepted norms like basic social interactions and medical safety have been called into question by the novel coronavirus. Likewise, protests and demonstrations around Black Lives Matter have caused many to pause and question accepted norms for policing in Philadelphia and across the country. Because times feel unsure at best—and divisive at worst—how do people come together? In Queen Village, it can be the equalizing goal of a community garden.

In April, Queen Village lost one of it’s trailblazing volunteers: Libby Goldstein. Libby pioneered the city’s first community garden in a vacant lot on the 300 block of Christian Street. Growing food was the mission but the spirit of the project was all about community. Now almost 45 years later, it is easy to take the Southwark/Queen Village Community Garden for granted, but digging into the history reveals many hurdles in a long battle which was ultimately victorious, thanks to neighbors of multiple races and socioeconomic backgrounds working together and respecting each other in order to protect their collective creation.

To quote Libby, “In the late ‘70’s, turning vacant lots into community gardens reflected a new ethic of neighborhood self-sufficiency and land stewardship… gardeners had to work through ethnic and economic differences just to keep their gardens going. They became important parts of their communities.” After the Southwark/Queen Village garden, Libby was asked to use that model to help establish more community gardens around the city.

While the neighborhood has changed over the decades, the spirit has not. Hopefully, the article about these contributions can resonate with the good that exists in all of us, just as the articles about quarantine-spurred endeavors like Mutual Aid Philly and pet adoption demonstrate. With so many questions about where we’re going and what life will look like in, say, five years, know that there is still work to be done in the here and now. It’s precisely this unique confluence of events that can offer everyone an opportunity to find their contribution.

On a final note, I am happy to report that the Bethel Burying Ground Memorial at Weccacoe Playground is still in the city’s budget and slated to move forward.

Be safe, well and thoughtful,

QVNA President Eleanor Ingersoll