The Walls Community Garden was awarded the Kent State University Outstanding New Service Initiative in 2018. The Garden was recognized for understanding the needs of the community and making a distinct impact on it. In addition, the Garden offers opportunities for others in the community to get involved.
The Community Garden was created to bring the community together to share resources and knowledge. It is also intended to improve the mental, dietary and physical health of all involved. The Garden was a collaboration between the City of Kent, the College of Public Health, Green Sprout and the Kent City Schools.
The Community Garden has made a large impact in the community. In June, volunteers logged over 200 hours of work. The food grown was then donated to Kent Social Services, the Women’s Center Pantry at KSU and the community. The Kent school system would like to continue the garden and create a Farm to School initiative. This would include workshops, food prep, planting, learning, composting and reducing food waste.