Nehemiah's Quest

Nehemiah's Quest is a youth initiative of the Simon Cyrene Group to improve the Rosedale neighborhood of Homewood, primarily by turning vacant lots into gardens. The program takes its name from the biblical story of Nehemiah, who rallied the Judeans to rebuild Jerusalem after it was destroyed by the Babylonians.

The program was created and is overseen by Terry Slaughter. Children from the neighborhood, ages 10 to 18, are hired for $30 a day every other Saturday to help clear vacant lots, landscape them into gardens, and participate in other neighborhood cleanup efforts. The children are also encouraged to get to know their neighbors.

The first lot to be given the garden treatment was 2638 B. M. Montgomery Street. A group of more than 30 worked from September 2006 to January 2007 to create a simple garden on the lot. This included installation of "Double Whammy", a contemporary sculpture on loan from artist Larry Godwin of Brundidge, Alabama.

Nehemiah's Quest accomplishes several goals. First, it keeps neighborhood kids off the streets while providing them with work experience and training in landscaping. Second, it improves the neighborhood's aesthetics, providing space to "sit, relax, meditate, socialize, or play" according to the group's web site. Lastly, it brings the youth together and shows them they can improve their neighborhood.

In the future, the program plans to renovate a home in the neigborhood and then build a new home from scratch.

References

• Bryan, Kim. (January 18, 2007). "Youths on quest to make Rosedale beautiful". The Birmingham News.

External links

• Nehemiah's Quest web site