Area is maintained by teens requiring community service hours, citizens invited to visit
KILLEEN, Texas (Oct. 7, 2022) – The City of Killeen wants to remind residents about the Community Service Garden. It is run by the Municipal Court and has been in existence since 2008.
The Community Service Garden was originally created for teen defendants. A former judge found that it could be difficult for younger teens to find eligible agencies to work their court-ordered hours, due to their age. Teens then began being assigned to work at the garden.
The garden is located behind the Killeen Civic and Conference Center (3601 South WS Young Drive). Teens serve their community service hours on Saturdays from about 9a.m. – 12p.m.
They provide light garden work and are overseen by staff from the Municipal Court. They work alongside volunteers from the Bell County Master Gardeners Association, who teach them how to grow, produce, harvest and maintain a garden.
The defendants and volunteers work together planting, harvesting and weeding garden beds. Produce grown here is donated to local nonprofit organizations, such as homeless and domestic shelters, as well as various food pantries. All citizens are invited to visit the garden.
In 2020, more than 6,000 pounds of produce was donated to those in need. In 2021, about 5,000 pounds were donated, which was down slightly due to the February 2021 winter storm.
You can find out more about this service from our video on the City of Killeen’s YouTube page: https://youtu.be/uxErPVRGR50.
For questions about the Community Service Garden, residents can visit the Municipal Court’s website at www.KilleenTexas.gov/Court.
