By Kaylyn Pageot

There are programs blooming here at Greensboro College? It must be the FlowerFighters. FlowerFighters is a program started on campus by Civic Ambassador Kaylyn Pageot. Its main goal is to connect with others through community involvement and the enjoyment of gardening.

At a separate event for the Civic Leadership Program at the Abbotswood Living Center, I found out about a resident who wanted to start a gardening club. Although Abbotswood has enough resources to make that happen, a garden is not the easiest to set up. You have to find materials that are accommodating to those who use the garden. That is where the main inspiration for the program came from, a realization that GC students can have an impact on the community while participating in things you enjoy. With the added resources of volunteers, a garden could be set up for the residents to enjoy and in the future, they could continue to have that resource available.

As the founder of the program, I believe that this will be beneficial to both GC students and the community. By offering resources to the community, we open up doors to build connections that can benefit us in the future. Not only is gardening an enjoyable activity, but by working with others, it forces volunteers to learn about the culture and community they are being allowed into. My personal objective is to have the FlowerFighters be known for their availability and eagerness to spread gardening knowledge.

Friday, April 10, a group showing support for the FlowerFighters came out to the main event of the month, which was to help set up a garden at Abbotswood Senior Living Center. Multiple members of the Greensboro College Women’s Soccer team and Civic Leadership Program stepped up to help with the set up.

“Very good,” said Arthur Colon, a Civic Leadership Ambassador, about the facilities and the program. “I love the FlowerFighters and enjoyed the event as well. Seniors (the residents) were nice, it was interesting to see what the senior centers looked like. It was like a mini town in there and it looked very nice.”

“I thought it was fun and a creative way to give back to the community,” said Ashlie Linker, a GC Women’s Soccer player and Civic Leader Ambassador. “I wish I was there for longer, but I am glad I went.”

Despite a bit of disorganization, the main goal of the event was completed. Five raised flower beds were set up in two separate parts of the facilities.

This gardening crusade does not plan to just stop at Abbotswood. The main goal of the program is to become involved in multiple parts of Greensboro’s community, from things like schools, retirement homes, hospitals and more. Instead of putting out fires, participants put up beautiful gardens with blazing support from volunteers. However, the end goal is a long way from now and can only be achieved if there is support from the GC community.

If you want any information on how you can get involved, feel free to contact the current head of the program, Kaylyn Pageot, at Kaylyn.Pageot@greensboro.edu.