Get involved in NCG!

Everyone is welcome to volunteer and get involved in Newkirk Community Garden! We are an all-volunteer organization and accept all sorts of help - whether it's gardening, building, event planning, logistics... it all allows us to grow the garden bigger and serve our community better. If you want to become a member of the garden, volunteering is the first step.

Three volunteers attaching metal vertical planters to the side of a garden arch. On top of the arch is a mosaic sign reading "Newkirk Community Garden."

Volunteer

The best way to start volunteering at NCG is by coming to our open hours. Our open hours are from 11AM - 2PM Saturdays and Sundays (weather permitting). They usually start in April and end around November. Join the NCG WhatsApp group for the most up-to-date information about when open hours are being held.

Before you volunteer or use any tools, please fill out the volunteer application and waiver. We almost always have something fun to help with during open hours for people of all ages and abilities! Make sure to log your hours here when you're done for the day.

We also will happily accept other types of volunteering, such as help with event planning, snow shoveling in the winter, or logistics. Get in touch at newkirkcommunitygarden@gmail.com and we can find a way to get you involved!

Become a member

Ten volunteers posing for a photo in the garden with happy and silly expressions. There is a folding table behind them holding supplies for an event.

Anyone who has logged 8 hours or more of volunteer time in a year is eligible to become a member of the garden! Members have 24/7 access to the garden and are welcome to harvest (responsibly) from communal areas. There is more information about the benefits and requirements of membership in the garden rules.

In addition to your volunteer time, we request a $30 waivable annual donation to be a member. We also require you to participate in our open hours hosting rotation. To be a gardener and be eligible for a plot in the garden there is an additional $25 waivable annual donation. If any of these requirements is an issue for you please reach out to us and we'd be happy to figure out a compromise.

Propose an event

We love hosting public events in our garden and we're happy to get involved with people or organizations that want to put them on! Please contact us with any ideas for events that would benefit the community and we'll discuss how we could make it happen. Check out our event calendar to see what we have coming up, and let us know if you want to help out!

Donate

We also greatly appreciate donations! Our garden is almost entirely funded by small donations and membership fees. Donations go towards tools, maintenance, supplies, event costs, and other small needs to keep the garden running. Make sure to select "Newkirk Community Garden" in the "Direct your gift to" dropdown.

Our donations are handled through Open Space Institute, a non-profit organization. The people and pollinators who love our garden will be thankful for anything you can give, and please consider making a recurring donation if you can!