Help Us Build a Greenhouse in Morningside Detroit

Hi! My name is Sharon Gray, and my husband Gary and I established a community garden on the east side of Detroit. We are asking for your support in helping us raise funds for a greenhouse.

Gary and I have lived on Detroit's east side, in the Morningside community, for 34 years. We raised our three children here, and we love our neighbors. For most of this time, Morningside was a stable middle-class community

Then came the housing market crisis. The neighborhood changed right before our eyes. Entire blocks that were once beautiful homes with manicured lawns became blighted buildings and litter-filled vacant lots. We were either going to leave or stay and do something about it. We chose to stay.

For the last three years, we have been working to transform blighted and vacant lots into a neighborhood garden. It was slow and challenging at first. We had to clear out all the debris, weeds, and fallen trees, amend the soil, engage volunteers, and enlist the city to redo the sidewalks and plant trees. With the help of a few good volunteers, we have made tremendous progress.

Emerald Gardens Morningside is a registered USDA farm, and today we are happy to announce that we received a grant from the USDA to defray the cost of a high-tunnel greenhouse. The greenhouse will enable us to extend the growing season for our market vegetable garden.

The greenhouse will be 20' x 50', constructed of a metal frame with a heavy-duty plastic cover, doors, and vents. We need to raise $3,000 to pay the remaining cost. And that's where you come in.

We are reaching out to you: our family, friends, neighbors, and the greater Detroit community for help. Please help us to build community by transforming what was once a neglected space into a beautiful and productive place. No donation is too small.