Community L.I.F.T. Corp.

Hi, I’m Davis, and I’m humbly asking for donations for the continued operation and growth of the Community Table Garden here in Memphis TN, in partnership with Community LIFT.

Sarah Taylor started this garden in 2013 in order to improve the quality of food available to those who may not otherwise be able to afford organic produce. What began as 9 raised beds is now 17 beds and several rows of flowers. In 2020 alone we donated over 2,000 pounds of food between Grace St. Luke’s and First Congregational Church.

As a volunteer for the past 4 years, this garden has given me a sense of purpose, in that I’m making an active attempt to help a city that struggles, even under the best circumstances. I invited my brother William to join in the effort, and he became vital to the garden’s success. He installed the irrigation system that led to our most bountiful season to date. After his sudden death in July of last year, I truly felt lost and broken. Due to many factors, not the least of which was a dramatic loss of funding during the pandemic, Sarah had decided to end the Community Table Garden altogether. After much soul searching, I decided to assume Sarah’s role as Acting Director in my brother’s honor, knowing that he would have done everything in his power to save the garden.

Huey’s, a Mid-South staple for good food and good times, has been gracious enough to allow us to use their land for the past 8 years. Longtime Huey’s owner, Thomas Boggs, was well known for his philanthropy throughout the Memphis community, and this is just one part of carrying on his legacy.

With your help, we are reinvigorating the Community Table Garden to serve the growing and increasingly urgent need for healthy, sustainable food in Memphis. This season we are continuing our partnership with First Congregational Church’s Food Ministries, who distribute hot meals as well as groceries to those in need.

Your donation will contribute to several aspects of the Community Table Garden’s restart and growth. Our immediate next-steps are focusing upon much needed repairs, continued upkeep, and further beautifying one of only a few green spaces left in Midtown.

In addition to normal garden expenses and maintenance costs, we are looking to build a dedicated area for compost, that will go on to feed the soil for years to come.

There are countless organizations in town that are worthy of your support, but if this cause speaks to you we would be forever grateful. Together, we can grow a better Memphis.