Duquesne Community Garden Clean-Up and Bulb Planting

This past Saturday, Nov. 20, KEYS AmeriCorps members and a few, hardworking volunteers from Duquesne and elsewhere got together to get the Duquesne Community Garden ready for the winter.

We pulled out all of the dead plants, covered the empty beds with straw, turned the compost in preparation for using it come springtime, and planted tulip and daffodil bulbs. We pulled out the drooping sunflowers from along the brick wall. The seeds from the sunflower heads (see picture) will be used to bring us new sunflowers next season. Still, many different varieties of greens remain in their beds, as they are able to survive the cold temperatures.

Thank you to everyone who came to help out!

If you are interested in DYEP volunteer activities, please check back here, join the DYEP facebook group, or email Jessica.Schmid@alleghenycounty.us for information.

DYEP School Year Activities

Beginning October 25th, the DYEP will be bringing on two full year AmeriCorps members to continue our programming during the school year. The members will be based at the Duquesne/West Mifflin Boys and Girls Club on 3rd Street during after-school hours, from 3-6 pm, Monday through Thursday. They will be offering tutoring sessions, homework help, assistance in searching for jobs or filling our job applications, etc.

Additionally, these members will be working to plan various DYEP events: college visits, volunteer days in the garden, field trips, etc. If you're interested in helping to plan any of these events, either contact Jessi or stop by the Boys and Girls Club to meet the new members.

Duquesne community garden still going strong

Here is a recent photo of the DYEP's Duquesne Community Garden. There is still plenty of food to be harvested by anyone who is interested: tomatoes, peppers, all sorts of greens, beets, herbs, squash, etc.

Last Day at DYEP

Pictured above is the staff and youth of DYEP. Thanks to the Christ Lutheran Church on Fourth and Kennedy in Duquesne for sharing their space to all of us.

Today is the last day for youth working with the Duquesne Youth Employment Program. A talent show is being held, along with a cookout and games to wrap up the program for the summer.

Service Learning with Seniors

Youth Make Homemade Pierogies in Cooking Workshop

The DYEP youth made three batches of homemade pierogies on Thursday, the 22nd, in their weekly cooking session.

Making the pierogies from scratch, youth rolled out the dough and put in a potato, cheese and onion filling as well as a spinach, mushroom, Swiss cheese and onion filling. Teams also prepared homemade strawberry ice cream on the 22nd, rounding out a decadent meal.

Youth have created impressive meals in the kitchen in recent weeks, such as burritos with homemade salsa and Spanish rice, baked curry mustard chicken, fruit smoothies, apple crisp, watermelon and tomato salad, and black-eyed peas and kale "soul" stew.

And what do the budding chefs and gardeners have in store for you in the up and coming? This Friday the DYEP will be hosting a bake sale and a car wash as fundraisers. Baked goods, prepared by youth, will be on sale at the Christ Lutheran Church and around the community, and youth and staff will be washing cars throughout the day at the church at the corner of 4th and Kennedy, for $5.

DYEP Gets Some Help in the Garden

Middle-schoolers from the Duquesne/West Mifflin Boys and Girls Club's summer program came to work alongside DYEP youth in the community garden at the corner of Grant Avenue and First Street.

They planted bean seeds next to the corn. The bean vines will eventually wind their way up the corn stalks.

The young volunteers thoroughly watered the veggies and the newly-planted seeds.