OHIO: Trinity Cathedral garden receives international grant

August 13, 2009 [Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Cleveland, Ohio] Trinity Episcopal Cathedral's Charlie Comella Community Garden was chosen from more than 1,000 applicants to receive one of 20 $2,500 grants awarded in the United States and Canada by Fiskars Project Orange Thumb in 2009.

"We're thrilled to be honored by Fiskars with this prestigious award," said Scott Blanchard, the garden's leader. "We're proud to be a partner in making Cleveland's neighborhoods more beautiful and, through community involvement, making Cleveland a better place to live."

The garden, located less than a mile from the Cathedral at the corner of East 35th Street and Cedar Road, grows healthy vegetables, fruits and herbs that are prepared and served during Sunday lunch to downtown Cleveland’s homeless and hungry community. Since 2006, the garden has harvested over two tons of fruits, vegetables, and herbs for this cause.

The Project Orange Thumb program, sponsored by Fiskars Brands, Inc., a maker of gardening tools and supplies, provides community garden groups with the tools and materials they need to reach their goals for neighborhood beautification, sustainability, and horticulture education.

On August 15, Trinity will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony in celebration of the award, which will be the final event on the Ohio State University Extension/City of Cleveland Urban Harvest Garden tour.

The garden also received a Cityworks grant from the city of Cleveland in 2009. Neighborhood Connections, a program of the Cleveland Foundation, honored the garden with grants in 2006 and 2008.

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