Local Mother And Daughter Philanthropists Bring A Community Garden Back To Life

A former military neighborhood in Marina serving people in recovery is getting a fresh start with a restored community garden. Begun in 2010, the garden was well-tended, and flowers and vegetables were grown in the neighborhood until about five years ago when funding ran out. The gardens lay dormant for years due to lack of support and, even a few short months ago, were bare and decaying.

Today, the gardens are tidied, prepared and planted with new seeds, courtesy of local high school seniors, their moms, and a few dads. Brought together by the National Charity League Monterey Bay Chapter, the philanthropic group has rebuilt 39 8’ x 4’ beds, run irrigation, repainted the shed and organized gardening tools. In December, the cohort’s 2025 class theme, “With Love,” will be painted with a large heart on the garden shed.

The community garden is located at Hope Housing, which is operated by Sun Street Centers and the Housing Authority of the County of Monterey. It was built for the residents of its Pueblo Del Mar program and has 55 transitional housing units near the Nancy Dodd Center. Sun Street provides housing for residents recovering from substance and alcohol misuse and their children. The program also helps residents achieve financial stability, employment, parenting skills, education and sobriety. Virginia Maxwell Powell, mother to a senior class of 2025 student and longtime NCL leader, was instrumental in the garden revitalization that is the 2025 Senior Class Project. “We often have our members ask, ‘What can I do to make a difference and get my daughter’s hands dirty with mine?’” she said. They want to sweat, they want grit, they want to do all the things that you have to do with philanthropy, and this project does just that.”

Griggs Nursery donated garden supplies, including 15 flats of flowers and pollinators for the beds, while National Charity League Monterey Bay 2025 Grade Level Advisor Gina Cremers and her husband Grant Cremers donated the seeds. “Seeing our project come together from the hard work and new skills learned in our class is so rewarding,” said high school senior and their daughter, Addy Cremers.

Members of the 2025 cohort who attend Salinas High, Carmel High, Pacific Grove High School, Stevenson and Santa Catalina, plus some parents, worked to bring the gardens back to life. The project is about 70% complete, and plans are underway to sustain the gardens for years to come.

“These young women from the National Charity League are our future,” said Sun Street Center CEO Anna Foglia. “We have been so impressed and grateful that they dedicated their weekends to revitalizing a community garden for families recently homeless and struggling with mental illness. Our future looks bright with these leaders from NCL.”

National Charity League Monterey Bay Member and 2025 Grade Level Advisor Carli Chasen and her daughter volunteered together at the garden. “It’s been such a fun, rewarding experience so far, working alongside wonderful mothers and daughters, and a few dads, too, to help bring this amazing community garden back to life,” she said. “I can’t wait to see the final result!”

Jeannette Witten, National Charity League Monterey Bay President and local attorney who sits on the board for Sun Street Centers said she was grateful that Pueblo Del Mar residents would have the garden as a source of food and flowers and as a peaceful place to spend time. “A special thank you to the girls who went above and beyond in their dedication through serving long hours improving the garden,” she said.

NCL Monterey Bay Class of 2025 volunteer participants included:

• Savanna Radowicz, Carmel Valley, 93924
• Julia Jackson, Carmel, 93923
• Nicola Chasen, Toro Park, 93908
• Addy Cremers, River Road, 93908
• Jessica Cisneros, Toro Park, 93908
• Natalie Powell, Toro Sunshine, 93908
• Emma Tackett, Toro Park, 93908
• Hana Southard, Toro Park, 93908
• Hannah Brown, Las Palmas, 93908
• Ashley Norman, Las Palmas, 93908
• Jaclyn Norman, Las Palmas, 93908
• Olivia Garcia, South Salinas, 93901
• Ava Kittel, Las Palmas, 93908
• Grade Level Advisors (GLAs) Leticia Cisneros, Carli Chasen née Franscioni, and Gina Cremers, née Guidotti, all live in Salinas off 68, 93908

NCL Membership Drive

National Charity League Monterey Bay, a nonprofit philanthropy group, is hosting its annual membership drive through March 1, 2025. Mothers and their daughters in grades 6 through 9 at the time of the drive are invited to learn more about joining. Members are assigned to a cohort of about 30 other members who live throughout Monterey County and are graduating high school the same year. Mothers and daughters can access countless volunteer opportunities throughout the year, attend in-person and virtual meetings, and participate in membership-wide philanthropy and social events.

“Membership in NCL is a commitment to our daughters and our community,” said NCL Monterey Bay President Jeannette Witten. “Being part of NCL is fun and a great way to connect with others, but it’s also about being part of something bigger than ourselves.”