To the Editor:

Video messages from our mayor and other officials on the princetoncovid.org website end with the message: “Remember, we’re all in this together.” The Garden Club of Princeton has taken this message to heart and has decided to use money from its Community Trust Account to help fellow Princetonians in new ways in a time of extraordinary need.

In the past, the account has been used to finance various plantings to beautify All Wars Memorial Park, to enhance children’s outdoor experiences at the YMCA, and to encourage pollinators at Greenway Meadows Park. This spring, however, the Club saw a need to use its money in a different way, one not closely tied to The GCP’s traditional mission, but clearly tied to its sense of community.

We decided to make a significant gift to each of three organizations, two that address food insecurity and another that deals with housing insecurity, as people in Princeton struggle economically during the pandemic.

Once the idea was proposed, it was quickly adopted by the Executive Committee and then the full Club. Individual members asked for information so they could give supplemental donations. We are writing to encourage other groups to consider going a bit out of their usual lane in this emergency, and to expect there will be similar enthusiasm among their members. If we demonstrate by our actions that we really are all in this together, we surely will come out the other side a stronger community.

Robin Gosnell
President, The Garden Club of Princeton