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Embrace Waynesboro: ‘We do not want to close the community garden’

Crystal Graham
embrace garden vegetables
Photo courtesy Embrace Waynesboro.

A community garden in Waynesboro is looking for a volunteer to help it continue to provide fresh food to hungry neighbors.

Growing more than 5,500 pounds of food last year, Embrace Waynesboro is afraid that without some assistance, it may not be able to meet the needs of the community with its garden.

Embrace is looking for a garden manager to help with crop planning and rotation, starting seedlings and coordinating the work of other volunteers. The position is estimated at eight to 10 hours per week.

What began with five raised beds has grown into 25 raised garden beds, five herb gardens and fruit trees and bushes. Some of the items grown are not found at local grocery stores.

“We try to make people feel at home here. We have neighbors who are not from the area and would like what we call a taste of home. So our leadership works together to make sure we have those seeds,” said Kaye Shaner, director of the Staunton Augusta Waynesboro Community Assistance Network at Embrace Centers for Community.

With warmer weather on the way, Shaner is hoping Embrace can find a leader to ensure the community garden continues and is able to match last year’s output. There were approximately 3,500 visits to the garden in 2025.

“We want to be able to grow the amount of food our neighbors need, but without a garden manager, we do not have the capacity to do that this year,” said Shaner.

“We do not want to close the community garden.”

Embrace Waynesboro is located at 932 Fir Street in Waynesboro.

For more information about the volunteer position, contact Shaner at [email protected] or (540) 324-7006.


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Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, Crystal Graham has worked for 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of "Virginia Tonight," a nightly TV news show, both broadcast on PBS. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television. You can reach her at [email protected]