Veronica Savage has been an enthusiastic volunteer at Jenny’s Garden, located on 138th Street and 12th Avenue in West Harlem, for the past four years.
Jenny’s Garden, named after one of its founders, longtime resident and local community giant Jenny Benítez, is the only food-growing community garden within an existing public park. Benítez and other founders transformed this neglected section of Riverside Park’s northern area into a thriving one-acre green oasis. The garden has a rich legacy stretching across five decades with waves of dedicated community stewards who have remained faithful and devoted to nurturing this urban haven.
Veronica has a classic “grassroots” story of getting involved with Riverside Park Conservancy. She was introduced to Jenny’s Garden by lead volunteer Shawn Schoonmaker, who provided the perfect inspiration for gardening and working with others as a wellness antidote to the pandemic lockdown.
“He was so compelling and embodied Jenny’s spirit of bringing people together in a purposeful community,” Veronica says. “His charisma and energy were infectious and he made gardening accessible!”
She adds that she was also inspired by Jenny’s impact that resonated deeply with many of her values—generosity, cultural pride, and dedication to building strong communities that welcome and nurture young people.
The garden work is shared among a vibrant and dedicated team of 16 volunteers from diverse cultures and generations.
“It’s a brilliant and talented group to be around. Each one of us has passion projects and unique skill sets. One person cares for the trees, someone else stewards the flower beds, another person helps build the garden boxes, while someone else manages welcoming and onboarding new volunteers. The group calls me to a higher level and inspires me to contribute where I can.”
One contribution Veronica is most proud of is co-leading and coordinating a successful application for a national community composting grant last year, which secured a $10,000 award for Jenny’s Garden. The funding is dedicated toward strengthening community partnerships and supporting a critical compost system redesign, scheduled for completion in early summer. She also connected with West Harlem’s local mutual aid network (WHAM) to support its community care efforts and address food insecurity by distributing the garden’s food surplus to local residents.
Growing and sharing food makes Jenny’s garden special.
“Against all odds, in a harsh urban landscape, we have cultivated a garden-to-table experience. This unique and resilient green space has been carved out under a busy highway, adjacent to an active railway. It serves as a constant reminder to me that there are no limits to what you can build with love, care, and attention.”
As a food garden, there is critical stewarding work in every season. Veronica explains that each gardening year is different, and each season carries its own demands. She describes the work as cyclical, yet unique, and never done.
Veronica’s four years (and counting) of work at Jenny’s has been nourishing. The many valuable lessons that come from a garden provide “boundless learning and inspiration.” She believes she will never get tired of “marveling at the magic that the seeds hold for the renewal of spring after a long, harsh winter.” She shares that she gets great joy from “nudging hesitant visitors to enter the garden and then watching them enjoy nature’s medicine. I get to remind them that this space is here for all of us and needs all of us to thrive.”
Before Veronica found the garden, she spent her weekends indoors catching up on household chores after demanding workweeks as a social worker. Her career has been dedicated to helping students manage personal challenges and crises. She currently works at City-As-School, a transfer school program in the West Village. She says she didn’t think she had the physical stamina to garden on the weekends after a long week of intense work.
“Little did I know that gardening would energize me and restore me deeply. I’m so grateful that working in the garden created more balance in my health and my weekends by reconnecting me with nature.”
