A group of conscientious ladies from the Rose Garden Circle, most of whom hail from San Marco and the San Jose areas of town, were out to make a difference outside of their local area. Leadership came to a consensus to reach beyond the beautification of San Marco by providing assistance and a blessing to the Springfield community.
Volunteers and members of the Circle delivered a check April 10 to the clergy at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church and Outreach, located at 1924 N. Laura St., on a campus that’s budding with beauty – from flowers to vegetable gardens for residents to enjoy – the gift will help with not only the gardens but the food pantry ministry at the church.
“We appreciate your enthusiasm and that our mission resonates with your hearts,” said The Rev. Canon Beth Tjoflat, who serves as vicar for St. Mary’s and Canon for Urban Ministry for the Episcopal Diocese of Florida. “Today is tremendous because we’ve been gradually growing our mission, which is to provide food for folks that don’t have access to it, so our gardens mean that people who are in a food desert can eat healthy, fresh organic food. We grow our plants from seeds, and we provide extra plants for our pantry visitors so they can grow food at home as well. Our campus is open for anybody who wants to see what we’re doing.”
“This is our happy place now, I may just have to come over and just walk through. You can feel the love and Christ’s spirit. Thank you for what you’re doing; we really hope you can use [the donation] for the community,” said Beth Leavitt, president of the Circle, who handed off the $1,000 check during the ceremony.
Interested in giving or learning from the mission? Readers can visit StMarysJax.org, give online or call (904) 354-5075 to plan a tour.
