Edna’s Community Garden Project will benefit students and the community
By Laura Louise Tingo
The nonprofit Edna W. Runner Tutorial Center (West Jupiter Community Group) celebrating 35 years, proudly announces they are a finalist for the 2021 Impact the Palm Beaches Awards with Impact the Palm Beaches. The voting begins April 12, and the $100,000 awards will be announced virtually, on April 29.
Impact the Palm Beaches is a philanthropic organization where women collectively give to nonprofits in Central and Northern Palm Beach County to ignite transformational change through five core service areas. The Edna W. Runner Tutorial Center’s new community garden project inspired their nomination. Having three gardening and nature sites near the Center, they are poised to have a transformative impact on the education, mental health, and wellness of the community’s students and residents. The newly constructed Simon’s Giving Garden (with a dedication and ribbon-cutting planned later this month), will provide community food, a butterfly garden, outdoor seating, and will be a place for students to learn the benefits of healthy eating and how to grow affordable herbs, fruits, and vegetables with an environmental curriculum and STEM activities to improve scientific knowledge. Additionally, container vegetable and herb gardens will be shared with the community that can be planted at home.
Edna’s Community Park includes two areas full of trees, brush, and native plant species and an additional .4 acre preserve at the Tutorial Center. Plans include the planting and monitoring of native plants and animals to document the recovery and health of the native habitats, planting of native fruit trees, and development of a butterfly garden for the community’s enjoyment and environmental education. The Center is actively seeking funds to complete and launch these healthy programs and wellness initiatives and is proud to be recognized for their ongoing efforts and the honor of being a finalist.
To learn more about Impact the Palm Beaches, visit: www.impactpalmbeaches.org.
About the Edna W. Runner Tutorial Center:
Entering its 35th year of service, the West Jupiter Community Group, Inc. is a 501c3 that serves the West Jupiter community. In 1993, In 1993, the tutorial building, was rededicated as the “Edna W. Runner Tutorial Center” in honor of its Executive Director, Ms. Edna. Its mission, to provide a safe and nurturing environment for at-risk students and families so they may pursue academic and personal excellence, fosters its vision – to empower the children of West Jupiter to overcome the circumstances of poverty, excel educationally, and live meaningful lives.
For more information about the Edna W. Runner Tutorial Center, or schedule a tour, contact Mary Kay Willson
at 561-745-0950 or marykay@ewrunnerctr.org. To learn more, visit www.ewrunnerctr.org