Growth and decay on opposite sides of a Camden street

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Thursday, 14 May 2009 12:16

Photo by Luis Valdez 

Father Jud Weiksnar, pastor, and members of St. Anthony of Padua Church, Camden, are trying to call attention to the problem of abandoned properties in the city.

CAMDEN — Ground was broken on Saturday at River Road and 29th Street in Cramer Hill for a community garden in an attempt to revitalize the neighborhood.

Vegetables have been planted in 10 plots but “we really have room for as many as 40 plots,” said Josh Chisholm, executive director of Camden Churches Organized for People (CCOP). “The whole idea of a community garden is to bring awareness to the vacant property scattered throughout Camden.”

Some 50 people came together on Saturday, most of whom were volunteers who have been doing the work to get the garden into shape. Also at the groundbreaking were faith leaders of CCOP including Father Jud Weiksnar, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church, who said the garden was important because it was a symbol of “hope and transformation.”

The acreage had housed two abandoned police substations — trailers — and community activist and CCOP member Mandi Aviles, along with the youth group at St. Anthony, approached the city police chief about demolishing the substation, and it was done, said Chisholm.

Ironically, there is an abandoned plot of land right across the street from the community garden.

“The Cramer Hill community,” Chisholm continued, “along with St. Anthony’s and the Camden Children’s Garden on the waterfront got together to create this garden.”

The garden is one of many created around the country, all based upon a British concept where people tend sections of a community garden and are wholly responsible for its upkeep. Chisholm said that a person or a group will sign a plot agreement stating that they must maintain the plots.