Skip to main content

Fruits (and Vegetables) of Their Labor

By Programs Relationship Associate Anne Shields

This past week, I had the opportunity to visit a 2011 ENF Cornerstone Grant project in Milwaukee, Wis. Elks scholar alum Karlye Rodriguez-Wisdom received a $500 ENF Cornerstone Grant to create an urban garden, called the Cream City Gardens, at the Guest House Homeless Shelter. Now, a few months later, the garden is providing healthy, nutritious food to the residents of the shelter and Karlye is teaching them how to care for the plants.

Ever since Karlye received the Cornerstone Grant this spring, I have been eager to see the project come to life. So I was thrilled when Karlye invited the ENF and the Milwaukee Elks to a Harvest Party to celebrate a successful season of gardening. Steve Vitale, a member of the Milwaukee, Wis., Lodge No. 46, joined me at the event where we got to see the Cream City Gardens in action.

When I first laid eyes on 30 garden beds, it was clear how much hard work went into transforming a vacant lot in downtown Milwaukee into a thriving garden full of peppers, tomatoes and basil. But Karlye didn’t do it alone, she had the help of another Elks scholar alum, Tyler Ulbrich. They met while attending medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin. The two told me they were surprised to learn about their common Elks bond when they applied for the Cornerstone Grant!

Karlye and Tyler gave us a tour of the Guest House and showed us the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor. We saw multiple garden beds with sprawling tomato plants and the biggest cabbage plant Steve or I had ever seen. They even planted wild flowers to help beautify the land.

While walking through the garden, Karlye and Tyler outlined their plans for the future. Before next spring, they plan to tear down a vacant building on the lot and greatly expand the gardens. 

At the end of our visit, we enjoyed a wonderful meal made with vegetables direct from the Cream City Gardens. As I looked at all the great work Karlye, Tyler and their team do for the Guest House and the Milwaukee community, I was amazed that they are able to take time out of medical school to give back to the community in such a meaningful way. But that’s what being an Elks scholar is all about, and Karlye and Tyler certainly exemplify what it means to be an Elks scholar.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Labels

Show more

Popular posts from this blog

Seizing Every Opportunity

Reflections from the SAB President By Kat Nakamura 2019 MVS Scholar Hi, Elks Family! I’m Kat Nakamura, a 2019 MVS Scholar currently serving as the president of the Scholar Advisory Board. My time with the Elks has been a transformative experience, not only providing me with financial support for my education but opening the door to a nurturing community of like-minded individuals and remarkable opportunities. My journey began when I applied for the Elks Most Valuable Student scholarship, and little did I know it was just the beginning of a life-changing adventure. Months later, my mom encouraged me to apply to join the Scholar Advisory Board. Initially hesitant, I thought there was no chance of being accepted. Little did I realize that this decision would lead me to one of my most cherished experiences throughout college. The Scholar Advisory Board are the representatives that advise the ENF on scholar relations. Apart from being on the board, members attend the Elks National Conve...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Boatload of Scholars, a Busload of Clothes

By: Aditi V. Patel,  2019 Most Valuable Student scholar Last week, I had the pleasure of serving alongside 20 other amazing Elks scholars as a part of the Tampa Elks Scholar Service Trip. I did my research before the trip and found that Hurricane Ian had displaced more than 40,000 Floridians in September 2022—I wanted to do something to help! After landing in Tampa, we got right to work by sorting a busload (literally) of clothing that Tampa, Fla., Lodge No. 708 collected from the community for Greater Pine Island. We organized each item of clothing by size, made sure each item was in good condition, and placed them into bags. Whenever there weren’t clothes at my table, I would shift to another station to help others, and I saw other scholars doing the same. It was amazing to see everyone laboriously working for hours without any complaints, learning names and fun facts as we went. We had dinner at the Tampa Elks Lodge, which is where I had my first genuine conversations w...
3 comments
Read more

Elks Scholar to Scholar Fellow

by Raleigh Cury, Elks Scholar Fellow My first week as the Elks Scholar Fellow has been a whirlwind. Unfortunately, there was a hiccup with my work laptop, as it seems to have been either lost in the mail or stolen from my doorstep. Luckily, the ENF was able to get a second one to me quickly! Besides that, it has been a smooth transition into a new job! Everyone has been warm and welcoming, and I am very excited for what is to come. I have started brainstorming about the Winter Elks Scholar Service Trip. My initial idea is to provide disaster relief in Florida in the wake of Hurricane Ian. We might not do disaster relief, but Florida has become a strong contender for the trip. As a life-long resident of the South, I am especially excited to have a job that will take me all over the country.   In fact, I will be flying to Chicago for the job for the first time in less than a month.   I graduated in 2021 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I was heavil...
5 comments
Read more