Colony Mayor Donnis Leeth displays the award presented to Colony by Morehouse School of Medicine for the development of the town’s community garden. (W.C. Mann for The Cullman Tribune)
COLONY – As the Colony Town Council met Tuesday evening, Mayor Donnis Leeth showed off town hall’s newest decoration: a 2019 Healthcare Champion award from Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, given as part of its Healthy Communities Initiative. Colony received the award for its development of a community garden, designed to provide residents with healthy foods, as well as fresh air and exercise for those who come to help tend the town’s collection of raised garden beds.
Leeth, who traveled to Atlanta last week to receive the award, told The Tribune, “They presented about 10 of them. Mine was for the community garden. So, when we went and did that award, we had to do a speech talking about how important this was to your community, how important it was to you, to be presented something like this, you know, from a college.
“I told them it’s an outstanding day for me, because it made me feel good. I told them I love all of them. Without them and God, this wouldn’t have happened. I said I just love them to death, you know, and thanked them for what they do for people.”
On Monday of this week, Colony kicked off its community garden project by hosting a planting day, as kids from the community and around the Cullman area came together to plant seeds in flower pots, in preparation for transfer to the garden beds later on.
The community garden's produce will include tomatoes, okra, squash, cucumbers, collard greens, cabbage, turnip greens and peppers, and it will include a handicapped-accessible bed that can accommodate gardeners with canes, walkers or wheelchairs.
Community food pantry seeking clients and volunteers
Town Clerk Patricia Ponder reported that Colony’s Carpenter’s Cabinet food pantry has an opportunity to purchase large amounts of food at deep discounts, in addition to the regular deals it gets at the North Alabama Food Bank, through a USDA program. The problem is that minimum purchase requirements will give the town more food than it can distribute to its current clients.
So, as Colony looks into the program, it is seeking more clients. Expanding service will also require more volunteers. Anyone interested in helping out or applying for services from the pantry can contact Ponder at Colony Town Hall at 256-287-1192.
The Colony Town Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, at 6 p.m. at Colony Town Hall, with work session at 5:30. The public is invited to attend.
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