Title
Honoring and thanking Gweny Love Owens, on the occasion of Earth Day, for her work on environmental justice and sustainability.
Body
WHEREAS, Gweny Love Owens is a native of the Mantua neighborhood of West Philadelphia. She still calls Mantua home and continues this neighborhood's historic tradition as a community of neighbors helping neighbors; and
WHEREAS, Being in nature has always been Gweny's favorite escape from the concrete jungle. As a child, she participated in a garden club, where she spent hours indulging in the sweetness of wild honeysuckles and chasing butterflies. She still fondly recalls summer days when she would lay on her back and look up at the tall swaying trees, pondering the beauty and splendor that surrounded her and awakened her senses. Gweny's love for gardening and her community is palpable, and is felt in every collaboration, initiative, and conversation in which she is involved; and
WHEREAS, Gweny's passion for gardening continued into adulthood. She established Mantua Worldwide Community, Incorporated to make her community, and others across the city, more healthy, beautiful, and sustainable; and
WHEREAS, Much of Gweny Love's life work has been centered on developing and promoting programming that heals the earth and the community at the same time. This includes urban farming and gardening, honoring nature, community cleanups, conversation, and preservation. Because of her work in these areas, Gweny is frequently referred to as "Farmer Girl" by her neighbors; and
WHEREAS, Last year, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia contracted Gweny to establish, organize, recruit, and host the first annual Legacy 100 Garden Party inside the Benjamin Rush Medicinal Garden. The event was so successful she has been asked to plan the second iteration this May; and
WHEREAS, Gweny Love has won three PENNCares grants for her garden programming in collaboration with medical students from the University of Pennsylvania. Gweny also par...
Click here for full text