A vacant lot on Megargee Street is being transformed into a community garden in Northeast Philadelphia. The project is led by Heroic Gardens, a nonprofit organization that uses gardening to help veterans find peace and purpose.
For Mike Peterman, a US Army veteran, working with soil has been life-changing.
“I have PTSD and am constantly on the move. I have a hard time being still,” Peterman said. “When I go into the ground, it helps me slow down a lot.”
After serving in the Army from 2002 to 2006, Peterman started gardening in 2009. He said that after leaving the military, he struggled with the loss of his purpose.
“I didn’t expect to survive the military,” he admitted. “Life afterward was about filling this giant hole.”
He started filling that gap with the help of Heroic Gardens. Collie Turner, the executive director, said she founded the nonprofit as a tribute to her grandfather, a doctor in World War II.
“We can’t heal them as people, but we can help them learn to heal their country,” Turner said. “By doing this, they will learn to heal themselves.”
On Saturday, volunteers gathered to implement a ‘lasagna-like’ gardening method, layering compostable materials such as cardboard and leaves to revitalize the soil. They planted spring flower bulbs on Saturday and plan to plant sunflowers in May. The organization hopes that the garden can also provide employment to six to twelve veterans.
For Joe Cartin, a volunteer, the mission is personal. His great-grandfather, grandfather and father all served in the military. He said he has experienced the joys of his family’s service, but he has also been touched by tragedy.
“My cousin Tim, who served and was also an active firefighter, committed suicide several years ago,” Cartin said.
Although Cartin did not serve in the military, he feels this work is his way of giving back. “My part of service is to be able to help those who need that help, and that’s for our veterans coming home,” he explained.
This sense of community is what keeps veterans like Peterman going. “The group, community and family aspect of it is huge,” he said.
Heroic Gardens plans to open the garden to the public next July.
