Volunteer Spotlight: Betsy McLean, PAR Garden Lead Volunteer
Betsy McLean with daughter, Mina
On any given day, you can visit the Greenway’s Community Garden and find Betsy McLean tending the rows. But these aren’t personal crops she’s cultivating, these rows belong to the Plant-A-Row for the Hungry (PAR) Garden, a volunteer project that provides fresh produce for organizations who feed those in need. Community Cafe in Fort Mill is the current recipient of the PAR Garden’s bounty.
A gardener from childhood, Betsy developed her love of the land in Hickory, North Carolina working alongside her mother in the family garden. Her daughter describes her as “the kind of person who sees an injustice or something that needs changing and actually does something to change it!”…and that’s exactly how the PAR Garden at the Anne Springs Close Greenway was born.
Through battles with deer and rabbits, managing the effects of drought, and finding materials to maintain the space, the Garden has been a labor of love for Betsy. With the assistance of numerous volunteers (including Scouts, companies, schools and community groups), the Garden has harvested 2,000-3,000 pounds of produce for those in need of fresh food options. In 2005, Betsy approached Greenway staff to ask for a small plot of land near the Greenway Headquarters to develop a Plant-A-Row for the Hungry garden.
Thanks to Betsy McLean’s passion and determination, the Plant-A-Row for the Garden is now in it’s 14th year and continues to serve the Fort Mill community. If you see her in the Garden during your visit, stop in say hello and thank you for loving the land as much as we do!
To volunteer at the Plant-A-Row for the Hungry Garden, please contact Mina MacDonald or click here to register.