Born in Johnson City, Paul moved to Drexel, N.C., as a child and went to school there. Following a divorce 16 years ago, he returned to east Tennessee and settled in Kingsport. He lived through tough years and experiences and had begun to get back on his feet when he lost his job a year-and-a-half ago because of a local company closure.
Kermit Addington, a community member who was an early advocate for Harvest of Hope, stopped at Paul’s apartment building down the street from Harvest of Hope early in the summer to talk to the residents there about getting involved with the community garden.
“At first I was skeptical,” Paul says. “I didn’t know how much I’d be able to help. But I decided to go for it and hope that it works out. I decided that at 47 years old, I’m going to see this thing through.”
He planted tomatoes, green beans, eggplant, okra and onions. As the plants grew, so did Paul.
Paul didn't stop with planting things, either. Paul visits the garden at least twice a day to make sure everything's alright and that dry beds get water. He comes once in the morning at dawn, once in the evening, and oftentimes he's there in between -- sometimes for hours at a time to help with a job.
Paul says his work with the garden has been life changing.
“I didn’t know how much I appreciated this garden until I stuck it out,” he says. “It’s been a rejuvenating experience – it’s given me something to do with my idle time. It’s been a spiritual awakening – it’s given me a breath of fresh air.
“I have been so blessed to be a part of your garden, our garden, it has actually had such a spiritual impact on my life that my relationship with people, neighbors, community and most of all God, has been overwhelming,” Paul wrote in a letter to the group overseeing the garden.
Forging friendships
“I’ve developed a lot of relationships in this garden,” Paul says. “People from different walks of life come together here. It’s good to see people come together for one reason – there’s fellowship.”
One relationship that has developed in the garden is the friendship between Paul and Larry, the master gardener who’s been the coordinator for much of the physical work going on. Paul and Larry have worked side by side to build and fill fall garden beds, spread chat, and construct storage bins, among other tasks.
“People like Larry have become my good friends,” Paul says.
“Paul’s a terrific guy,” Larry says. “He knows how to work. That’s really, really rare.”
Paul’s also fed his relationships with friends and neighbors – literally – by sharing his harvest.
Paul says he grew up in a garden and that Harvest of Hope has taken him back to when he was a kid.
“The garden has always been a positive experience in my life,” he says. “It would do the whole world good to take a step back,” Paul says. “Some of the best folk I’ve known were people who had gardens. The garden is nourishing. It’s pure. It doesn’t ask for a lot.”
Growing on and on
“I grew up learning that if you can make a difference to even one person, it’s worth it,” Paul says.
This garden has made a difference to him.
“I hope it continues next year and the year after that," he says. "As long as I’m here, I’ll put in an application.”
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