Lincoln Correctional sends fall greetings to area kindergarteners via a load of pumpkins

 

[September 21, 2020] 

On Friday, Food Service Director Christian Tanner and Lt. Jeff Walsh from Lincoln Correctional Center were busy visiting local kindergarten classes in Lincoln. The two representatives were on a mission to deliver gifts of pumpkins to all the children, courtesy of the inmates at Lincoln Correctional.

Tanner said that this year as part of the garden project at the prison, the inmates planted thirty hills of little pumpkins, the kind that don’t grow large, but rather are the perfect size for little hands.

When they began raising the pumpkins, they knew that this would be a portion of the garden project that they would probably share with the community, but they didn’t expect that they would raise nearly 400 little pumpkins.

Tanner said that there is a garden project at the prison every year. He is permitted to incorporate the fresh vegetables into the daily menus at the prison. In addition, if and when there is surplus, it is given to local recipients such as the food pantries in Lincoln.

He said that with the pumpkins it was expected that they would give them away, but that the inmates were excited about the idea that they had enough to share with every kindergarten child in town. Tanner said that deliveries were made to the private/parochial schools as well as all the others in town, ending at Central School with a delivery of about 100 pumpkins.

Due to the coronavirus, the decision was made not for all the children to come outside to see the arrival of the pumpkins. Instead, three students from Ms. Merritt’s classroom – two Henry’s and an Elijah were chosen to come out and accept the gift on behalf of the students along with Ms. Merritt and Principal Bogdanic.

Tanner said there are six guys who regularly work in the garden and they take a keen interest in it. They spend regular hours out in the garden, weeding, watering and taking good care of the plants. He noted that when the garden was planted earlier this year, all were aware of coronavirus, but were optimistic that it would go away. Of course, it didn’t, and there were cases of the virus in the prison. Tanner said as a result, the inmates were not able to work in the garden for quite some time, but that recently three have been able to return.

Of course, for the schools this was really good, because this year children are not going to be permitted their field trip to Gail’s Pumpkin Patch due to the virus and school restrictions associated with protecting the children. The teachers and the children were going to miss their fall trip, but having the gift of pumpkins brought to them definitely softened the blow.

Tanner said that the inmates were happy to be able to contribute. He said that for his garden crew, they are always excited about giving back to the community. For Tanner the act of giving is also very important. He noted, “We want to show that we are a part of the community, and take interest in our community. We are not just a prison.”

Ms. Merritt said a little closer to Halloween the pumpkins will be incorporated into an art project for the students and will be used as Halloween decoration in the classroom.

[Nila Smith]