2011 End of Year Update

 

We are pleased to report the following accomplishments for Kim's Garden, a project begun in 2010 as a living legacy in honor of Kim Brenegar. For many years Kim had volunteered and donated her talents and plant materials to maintain a small public park near her home, at the corner of 8th Street, Independence and North Carolina Avenues, S.E. Following her death in a car accident in 2009 at the age of 49, Friends of Kim Brenegar chose the renovation of this park to memorialize Kim's deep commitment to community, aesthetics and the environment.

• March 2010: Friends of Kim Brenegar formed; park renovation project conceived.
• May 2010: Approval by the District of Columbia government Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6B.
• December 2010:  Care Company becomes fiscal agent, conferring 501(c)(3) non-profit status to project.
• December 2010:  Mosaic Centerpiece for park plaza designed by artist Deirdre Saunder.
• December 2010:  Landscape design completed by horticulturist Jim Adams.
• January 2011: Website and Blog launched, along with Press Release announcing Kim's Garden.
• February 2011: Friends of Kim Brenegar finalized as Park Partner by D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation.
• April 2011: Spring Clean-up Day removal of weeds, trash and tree branches.
• May 2011: Tree Trimming by William Shelton & Capitol Tree Care.
• July 2011: Broken Concrete Curb removed by Fernando Silva & FMS Construction.
• August 2011: New Concrete Curb installed by Fernando Silva & FMS Construction.
• August 2011: Summer Clean-up Day with Sandy Farber Bandier & D.C. Master Gardeners.
• September 2011: Euonymus hedge and years of trash accumulation removed by Alex Portillo.
• September 2011: Mulching of entire park by D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation.
• October 2011: Boys Scouts from Troop 500 propose two Eagle Projects to repair bricks at the park.
• November 2011: Secure online donation now available on website via Razoo.
• November 2011: Community Meeting held at Christ Our Shepherd Church.
• November 2011: Kim's Garden receives Fall 2011 "Neighborhood Beautification" grant from Capitol Hill Community Foundation.
• December 2011: Kim's Garden receives major grant from National Capital Bank Fund.

Please help us plant Kim's Garden in 2012:

• Send a tax-deductible donation (give online or mail a check payable to "Friends of Kim Brenegar" - see sidebar for more information) 
• Volunteer for a garden work day

... or just spread the word!

Major Grant from National Capital Bank of Washington

The National Capital Bank of Washington is proud to be a major supporter of Kim's Garden. 
Bank Chairman of the Board and CEO, Richard A. Didden, Sr. with
Juliet Brenegar Michaud of Friends of Kim Brenegar.

Capitol Hill Community Foundation Fall 2011 “Grants Giveaway” Celebration

Kim’s Garden was one of the Fall 2011 grantees for “Neighborhood Beautification”

Carmella Mazzotta is beaming after receiving a check from Buck Waller and Stephanie Deutsch of Capitol Hill Community Foundation – our first grant award for Kim’s Garden!

Community Meeting on Saturday, 5 November

Click image to enlarge

Summer Clean-up with D.C. Master Gardeners

 

 (BEFORE) A group of Master Gardeners, coordinated by John Thomas (right) spent a

very hot summer day sprucing up Kim’s Garden

Larry Brown listens attentively to John Thomas describing the plan for the day

Joe Ardizzone pulls tenacious dandelion weeds on the 8^th Street side of Kim’s Garden. Only 10,000 more to go!

 D.C. Master Gardeners Kathy Aram, Larry Brown and Laura Preston are really making progress

D.C. Master Gardeners (L-R): John Thomas, Madalene Stevens, Maggie Ollove, Jennifer Lehman,

Jenifer Marcy, Sandy Farber and Deborah Gordon

Remembering Kim, Beautifying the Neighborhood

This blog about Capitol Hill mentioned Kim's Garden.
 

http://www.thehillishome.com/2011/08/remembering-kim-beautifying-the-neighborhood/

Remembering Kim, Beautifying the Neighborhood

August 2nd, 2011 by Maria Helena Carey · 2 Comments · Capitol Hill South, Eastern Market

Photo by María Helena Carey

Sometimes, life hands us nothing but sadness, sorrow, and unspeakable horror.  We wonder why little children starve to death in utter squalor; why there must be wars that seem to lose their meaning the longer they drag on; or why a vibrant and beloved member of the community and mother of two had to die suddenly and at a young age?  If only we could all take our grief and make something beautiful and lasting, as Kim Brenegar’s family and friends have done, maybe the world would be a better place.

Kim was a Capitol Hill resident, business owner, and avid gardener, who died in a car crash in 2009 at age 49.  Kim’s nearest and dearest formed a volunteer society in 2010 called The Friends of Kim Brenegar.  They, in turn, have allied themselves with a 503(c)(3) non-profit called Care Company, and they are working together with the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation to turn the little park bordered by 8th Street SE, Independence Avenue SE, and North Carolina Avenue SE into a beautiful urban oasis.  The plans for Kim’s Garden are ambitious, but beautiful: the design will work with the existing flora as well as introduce hardy perennials — mostly native species — to the site; it will also echo the colors of a fun mosaic that artist Deirdre Saunder — who also designed the Hopscotch Bridge — created especially for the garden.
 

While the garden is starting to take shape, there is still much to do and The Friends of Kim Brenegar need your help.  If you would like to donate time, money, or specific resources for the mosaic or other fixtures in the garden, visit http://kimsgardendc.blogspot.com/ or email them directly at FriendsofKimBrenegar [at] gmail [dot] com.

Concrete Curb Repair - August 2011

Day 2 of concrete curb repair at Kim’s Garden by FMS Construction: 

Santos Lopez pours concrete into the empty form

Augustin Cabrera and Juliano Lopez loading concrete into buckets

Tools of the trade

So that the concrete won’t stick to the form, Benjamin Lopez oils the wood

Bucket by bucket, Benjamin Lopez carries concrete to the curb