Morgan Hill Leadership ’ s class of 2020 also had to quickly pivot as the pandemic cut into their ability to meet easily in person . Though prior classes have had free reign to raise as much money as they liked , this class had to work with a budget cap , which dictated the scope of their project , said Cynthia Sanchez-Singh , the project team manager for her class .

They opted to build a children ’ s educational area at the Morgan Hill Community Garden where local residents keep garden boxes . “ We decided that a teaching area , where kids can come on class field trips to learn and understand plant growth would add value to the community ,” she said .

They raised about $ 5500 and minimized additional costs through volunteer labor . Material was provided by local businessman Mike Cox , and Community Garden president John Jenkins . The gazebo was put together by D . R . Domenichini Construction and Sanchez-Singh also credits Sakata Seeds and Moki Smith Tree Service for their contributions .

The finished project includes a shady gazebo set upon a concrete foundation with five hand-made picnic tables . A picket fence features images of children from a wide variety of backgrounds hand-painted by local artists . Other local artists painted colorful paving stones to build a paved pathway . There will also be a log scramble , a wooden structure that children can play on , a bird bath , and a beanpole teepee .

“ This was not the leadership class we were envisioning but we all made it work and the challenges made us more resilient . The relationships that we ’ ve built are priceless ,” Sanchez-Singh said .

GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN WINTER 2021 gmhtoday . com

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