A garden along the intersection of Quesada Avenue and Newhall Street boasts an aromatic array of lavender and rose geraniums. Birds of Paradise bloom in the lush garden patch, and succulents grow tall in sunlight that sheds over a mossy ground cover. A mural highlights the community gathering area where events are often held by Quesada Gardens Initiative.
This area has not always been as flourishing and beautiful as it is now, however. Only 10 years ago, this area in San Francisco’s Bayview district served as a dumping ground. The neighborhood was notorious for drug dealing and prostitution. The Quesada Gardens Initiative changed that. “There used to be people on drugs and prostitutes all over this neighborhood, but once people started coming together, they just left,” said Rika Kruse, a gardener at the Bridgeview Community Teaching and Learning garden.
In 2002, Bayview residents Karl Paige and Annette Smith decided to make a change. They began by planting in their neighborhood — just some flowers here and there — and soon their neighbors started to pitch in. Soon the Quesada Gardens Initiative — QGI — was born, and now community members have turned the area into a stunning place.
Quesada Gardens Initiative co-founder Jeffrey Belcher said, “What was once ground zero for drug trade in Bayview has been the safe route through the neighborhood for years now, and I believe it's one of the most beautiful spaces in the city. The success is not due to beautification however, but to neighbors connecting and finding strength in one another, where we were once just isolated and fearful.”
The Quesada Gardens Initiative has been consistently growing over the years. The organization now has several gardens, vegetable plots, and murals throughout Bayview neighborhoods. These gardens provide places for community members to gather and get to know one another. Most of the volunteers who work with QGI are residents of Bayview, while some outside volunteers help out as well.
“Community involvement has been massive,” said Belcher. “Our goal is to empower ourselves, as residents, to connect with one another, create groups that define and sustain projects of all sorts. That said, we always need help given the scope of what we take on,” he added.
“While we residents might create an open space project, we also need help keeping it maintained. Some residents want to get out and do gardening, while others want to help generate volunteerism or help with community communications.”
QGI also provides aid to community members. QGI's Baybloom Backyard Gardens is a program that builds food-producing gardens in residents' backyards. This project is a partnership with Seth Watchel’s Architecture and Community Design program at the University of San Francisco, and 18 gardens have been planted so far. Since each patch produces different foods, and some crops grow at different times of the year, these backyard gardens provide a hub for neighbors to come together and swap food.
Artists who have worked on Quesada Gardens murals include Deirdre DeFranceaux, Heidi Hardin, Santie Huckaby, and Malik Seneferu. In 2004, QGI dedicated the Quesada Gardens Community Mural. Artwork by community artist Deirdre DeFranceaux, as well as artist Santie Huckaby, depicts the likenesses of community youth socializing and playing in a thriving garden.
The “Bayview is …” mural was dedicated in 2009. It features large areas of orange and yellow paint, so that future artwork can be added to it as QGI expands. This mural, put together by community artists Malik Seneferu and Heidi Hardin, also includes a flock of ascending doves.
Some muralists have become involved in other QGI projects as well. “QGI is a model for good neighbors and community building unlike any other,” said artist Heidi Hardin about the Quesada Gardens Initiative.
The Quesada Gardens Initiative is an informal grassroots network that works hard for funding, and puts every cent they earn to great use. Most financial aid comes from donations, and when available, from city-sponsored grants. Funds that are raised go toward garden education, volunteer coordination, project leader coordination, community communications, and accounting.
“We are barely on track for the year, and continue to survive month-to-month; it’s pretty tough, but we’re committed,” Belcher said in regard to funding.
Volunteers who participate in the projects and events of Quesada Gardens Initiative are in for a unique experience. Every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1p.m., QGI hosts a volunteer day for anyone interested, either within or outside of the community. Volunteers are provided with a meal, and the chance to bond with a group of community members who have become close through the Quesada Gardens Initiative.
There are also many events throughout the calendar year for people who would like to participate in any of the programs offered through Quesada Gardens Initiative. The neighborhood has become so fortified with good will and togetherness that now people buy houses in the area just because of the events and gardens.
If you are interested in learning more, would like to make a donation, or want to volunteer, please visit http://quesadagardensblog.blogspot.com/ for more information.
