Spire employees are building a greenhouse for the Jennings School District and making other garden improvements such as rebuilding raised beds and preparing beds for soil and planting at the high school. The volunteer effort is part of Spire’s annual Day for Good initiative, giving employees eight hours annually to support an organization or cause of their choice.
The greenhouse build is just the start of a new project between Spire and the Jennings School District aimed at healthy lifestyle choices, including gardening. The company is also creating a program to provide additional support to the school district.
“This is an opportunity to provide a hands-on learning space for students, which we hope will lead to healthy eating and cooking,” said Justin Lopinot, director of employee communications and community impact. “We are thrilled about this opportunity to support local students and to help them make positive changes and lead a healthy lifestyle.”
The group will break up into teams to have simultaneous projects underway at Jennings High School and at Gary Gore Community Center where the Jennings Community Garden is located. While the greenhouse is being built at the Jennings Community Garden, students will assist with garden improvements at the high school.
“We want to take this tremendous opportunity to say thank you to Spire for its support to the St Louis community. Although this is one of many district projects that Spire supports, this is a major accomplishment for the Jennings community,” said Dr. Paula D. Knight, Superintendent of Schools, Jennings School District. “We know school gardens can make lasting differences in the lives of children. The lessons taught through these outdoor learning laboratories transcend gardening to impact children, their families and entire communities for years to come.”
