Steward Spotlight: Bruce Noble and Holy Family Community Center
Stewards are volunteers who take the lead on caring for their local orchards. They are the backbone of The Giving Grove program. Thanks to their dedication, Giving Grove little orchards continue to help feed the hungry, improve the environment, and foster friendship and community. As a thank you, we like to spotlight stewards who are doing some extraordinary things in their communities.
The Giving Grove would like to introduce you to Bruce Noble. He is the steward for the Holy Family Community Center's little orchard. The mission of the Holy Family Community Center is to provide free sack lunches and clothing to their poor and homeless neighbors. They also provide community space and education in their historic building in their north downtown Omaha neighborhood. As assistant director of the organization, Bruce is responsible for coordinating garden activities in their Churchyard Community Garden on the church grounds.
The property itself used to belong to a Catholic church. After Bruce's organization took over management of the property, they set out to "grow community" in the mostly brick and concrete neighborhood. The Churchyard Community Garden was their opening endeavor. This garden is used to bring people together and to offer free and healthy nourishment. When the organization learned of The Giving Grove program through their local affiliate, The Big Garden, they jumped at the chance to offer free picking of fresh fruit to their many homeless neighbors.
The orchard was planted in 2019, and next spring will be their first production year. Even though their orchards have not grown fruit yet, there have already been many benefits to planting the orchard, "By planting our trees and trimming our large shade trees, we have created a welcoming, comfortable lawn and growing space that makes our yard a gathering place for neighbors. It's a green and growing place in a long-neglected part of town," says Bruce.
Since the city's largest homeless shelter is only a block away, they hope their future fruit will be harvested and enjoyed straight from the tree by their homeless brothers and sisters.
"I am excited by the future experience of feeding others directly from the source, from the trees rooted in the soil of a church serving its community since 1883," says Bruce. "I love the vision of the future that our trees create, one of gathering, nurturing, and sustaining others for years to come."
Bruce and the Holy Family Community Center understand that little orchards do not only provide fruit; they also provide community, kindness, and sustainability. We are thrilled to have them be a part of our organization and look forward to seeing pictures of their first fruits next spring!
