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Thanks to a $10,000 Grant, Patience & Perseverance, Bellmawr Will Finally Have a Community Garden To Call Its Own

The Borough of Bellmawr is the recipient of a $10,000 Sustainable Jersey Grant, which is funded by the PSEG Foundation. The funds will be used to build a community garden on the property of the Bellmawr Senior Housing Center.

For Bellmawr resident and Girl Scout Troop #30215 leader, Debbie Allen, two time’s the charm.

For several years, Allen had the idea of building a Community Garden in Bellmawr. She had in mind a space where residents could garden and unwind on garden benches, and her Girl Scouts would be able to learn and work in it.


In 2016, with the cooperation of the Borough and the town’s Recreation Department, Allen set about writing an extensive grant proposal to Sustainable Jersey, which is funded by the PSEG Foundation, only to learn last year that her proposal didn’t make the cut.

Although she was brokenhearted, Allen didn’t quit. She revamped the grant, re-submitted it, and this year, her proposal won.

Bellmawr Community Garden
Photo provided. From left: Rick Dovey, Chair, Sustainable Jersey; James Allen, Debbie Allen, Councilman Ray Bider; Maria Spina, Corporate Responsibility Stakeholder/PSEG Foundation Program Officer; and Randall Solomon, Executive Director Sustainable Jersey.

Allen said: “It was absolutely heartbreaking when our first application was denied. At that point, it had already been two years of work. I knew how much the girls were looking forward to getting started, but the people at Sustainable Jersey were so supportive. They explained that the concept was good, but that the details of the proposal needed some cleaning up before they could make an award.”

Allen said she was encouraged to participate in that cycle’s debriefing so that she would be prepared to submit again, which she did. “I’m so grateful to them for their help because this year, we won a $10,000 grant to build Bellmawr its own Community Garden!”

Sustainable Jersey
Photo provided

She continued: “When I submitted the proposal earlier this year, I wasn’t sure if I had done enough work to make it really impress the committee. I was nervous that there was a magical element that I was missing and we would go another year without our garden.”

Once she hit submit, Allen checked her email constantly.

And finally, the notification with the good news arrived in her inbox. Allen remembered: “My daughter, Olivia, was with me when I got the email that we had been chosen, and we screamed and hugged in excitement!”

Allen said that in the early days of her troop, she decided that the focus of their work would be healthy living and independence for the girls. Healthy living means so much more than just what we eat, but our diet has a big impact on every part of our lives, she explained.

“Community involvement is a big part of being a Girl Scout,” Allen said. So, while researching ideas that would support the community while aligning with their healthy living concept, she found that local communities had great success building community gardens.

But gardens cost money.

“We wanted to make a space that the community would be proud of, so we needed enough money to build a garden that would look and feel welcoming to all. My research lead me to charitable organizations. However, we were competing with such a diverse group of applicants that it was difficult for our proposal to stand out,” Allen said.

The turning point came when Allen and her husband, James, attended a community gardening session hosted by Sustainable Camden County. “I met a man with experience in community gardens from the ground up. He pointed me to the grants available from Sustainable Jersey, funded by PSEG,” she said.

Allen learned that Sustainable Jersey grants are awarded in annual cycles — in the fall for school districts and in the spring for municipalities. “Individual organizations are not eligible to apply, so our troop partnered with the Borough to create a proposal that the troop and volunteers could fulfill with the assistance and support of the Bellmawr Recreation Department and the Bellmawr Senior Housing.”

The grant is awarded annually to municipalities through the Sustainable Jersey Blue Ribbon Committee and funded by PSEG. The grants are specifically awarded to municipal projects that increase sustainability and assist the town in working toward environmentally friendly practices.

Allen explained: “Because the grant is technically awarded to the Borough for work to be done by the Borough’s Green Team, it was necessary to do several years of preparation work. Councilman Jim D’Angelo and Borough Clerk Chuck Sauter were both integral in getting the appropriate Resolutions approved and the Municipal documentation in order to make the application complete.”

In the years leading up to the successful proposal, several potential locations were considered for the garden.

She spoke of the several important factors that had to be considered: property ownership, location within the town (and its susceptibility to vandalism), and, most importantly: a water source to support the garden. “Sauter Park was not a good option due to the high-water table in the area,” she said. “There was also a small plot of land adjacent to a park on the East side of town, which also was not a good option due to its secluded nature and the risk of vandalism.”

When the offer came to locate the garden on a piece of property in the rear of the Bellmawr Senior Housing Complex on the Bell Road side, Allen said: “We couldn’t pass on that opportunity. It’s centrally located, visible from main roads which will discourage vandals, while encouraging visitors. The water source is already on the property. The Senior Housing graciously agreed to allow the Community Garden the use of its water.”

Bellmawr Community Garden
Photo by SJO. The location of the new Bellmawr Community Garden will be on the grounds of Bellmawr Senior Housing. Prior to Bellmawr Senior Housing being constructed at that location, Bell’s Farm used to be located there.*

Allen also spoke of what is probably the “most exciting benefit” of the garden. “That would be the Senior Housing residents, who are so excited at the prospect of getting their hands dirty with the girls.”

The plan for the garden includes 12 raised double-reach beds for planting vegetables. Several will be dedicated for use by the Girl Scouts, the senior residents, and potentially other civic organizations in town. The remaining beds will be available to the community for a nominal, seasonal fee. All fees go right back to sustaining the garden and its upkeep.

Bellmawr Community Garden
Photo by SJO. The plans for Bellmawr’s Community Garden include raised beds, a gravel walkway, and a paved patio area with benches.

In addition to the raised beds, the garden will include a gravel walkway and a paved patio area with several benches. “If there is money left over, and we believe there will be, we hope to erect a gazebo or other shaded area. This area will be used as a community common space, where seniors can visit with family, children can read, and civic organizations can meet for small educational or activity sessions,” Allen said.

She also looks forward to hosting representatives from Sustainable Camden County, Master Gardeners from the Rutgers cooperative, and other guests that can tell us about sustainable living and related topics. “This space will be a really exciting addition to our town!”

Now that the grant has been awarded, Allen said there are pre-determined deadlines that must be met and were pre-established in the proposal.

“Groundbreaking is scheduled for June, and we expect to have a lot of work done in just a few short months. The building of the garden needs to be complete before fall so that next year we have a full growing season that will result in a bountiful harvest. The Bellmawr Recreation Department, headed by Councilman D’Angelo, has offered assistance with the initial labor, for which we are so appreciative,” Allen said.

There will be so many opportunities for the residents of Bellmawr to get involved, she said. “We will post a schedule for public information sessions, as well as volunteer work days. On work days, the more help we get, the more successful we’ll be at meeting our timeline. We encourage all, no matter your age or experience level, to come out and get dirty with us. There will be something for everyone to do.”

Allen already knows that the town has “quite a few avid gardeners.” She said: “If anyone has surplus plants, seeds, or used gardening tools in good condition, we would love to work with them to integrate their donation into the garden. We’d also really love if anyone wanted to donate a memorial bench or other fixture. We want to make this a place as much a part of Bellmawr as we can.”

Councilmen Jim D’Angelo and Ray Bider both gave kudos to Allen for undertaking the grant writing effort.

Councilman Ray Bider attended the May 19 Sustainable Jersey and PSEG Grant Announcement event with Allen and her husband. He said Allen’s single-handed efforts in the grant writing process ensured that the proposal had just the right information for the select panel to accept.

He called attention to Bellmawr’s “Progress Never Stops” slogan and said: “Many believe in those words and others act to assure those words become reality.”

Bider said that the beauty of this project will be that there will be something for everyone: from walking paths, benches for relaxation under planned fruit trees, outdoor classrooms for environmental educational programs, and a water supply for irrigation.

He said: “It is hoped that beginning in June, you will see the first steps to show that ‘Progress Never Stops’ in Bellmawr when the community pulls together for this garden, as has been evident many times for other various projects. We are fortunate to have the continued dedication of Debbie Allen and her Girl Scout troop.”

Councilman D’Angelo said: “We must give credit to Debbie for her hard work and dedicated efforts in acquiring these much-needed funds.”

He said that both the Recreation Department and the Public Works Departments are anxious to get started on the project. “This grant will provide the opportunity to not only provide the Girl Scouts with the ability to physically grow a garden, but the interaction they will experience with their partners in this endeavor, our senior citizens, will be priceless. This project just makes Bellmawr better.”

Photo by SJO: Under the direction of their Troop Leader, Debbie Allen, members of Girl Scout Troop #30215 are ready to get their hands dirty and bring the Bellmawr Community Garden to life Pictured from left are: Alexis Blackson, Makayla Hawthorne, Gabrielle Hannum, Shelby Mae Ostrom, Amberly Gable, Norah Joyce, Caitlin Schad, Angelina Revas, Isabella Edwards, Megan Gordon, Olivia Allen, Cailin Casey.

*Article updated on May 19, 2017 at 6:45 p.m. to:

  1. Include the photo from the Sustainable Jersey and PSEG Grant Announcement event.
  2. Update the caption in the third photo to include the Bell’s Farm reference. (Thanks to Michael Regan, Jr. for pointing that out.)

2 replies on “Thanks to a $10,000 Grant, Patience & Perseverance, Bellmawr Will Finally Have a Community Garden To Call Its Own”

Really glad that this could happen!! This will be a wonderful opportunity to weave a closer-knit community here in Bellmawr.

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