The idea of Jeremy’s Garden was born with the thought that if we as a society are somehow able to find a way to re-instill a sense of empathy and compassion in both our youth and adult community members, possibly we may indirectly discourage bullying and other acts of violence as a result.

The idea is that we will have a community garden where members of our community will come and plant, weed, and harvest flowers and vegetables. Then, they will make flower and food baskets that they will deliver to those in need (and not just financially in need, but those in need of a smile, a good laugh, a good conversation, etc.). We hope that by facilitating the interaction between a high school student and an elderly man at the nursing home (or a recent widow, a teacher or a nurse having a tough day, a waitress who hasn’t gotten a decent tip all day long) that that young man will gain not only a sense of compassion for helping out those in need and a sense of empathy for what others might be going through but he may be more inclined in the future to go out of his way to talk with the elderly and learn about their lives and listen to their stories and genuinely care. This, we believe will change the culture of our society.

We have not found the ideal spot for Jeremy’s Garden just yet so for the past four years we have planted the garden at Jeremy’s parent’s farm.

Currently, we’re exploring the concept of a “Giving Garden” where community members could come and garden and take as much food as they might need, as this project isn’t only meant to be a memorial for Jeremy, but a community project aimed toward giving back, improving the health and well-being of community, and instilling positive change within all of us.