The Be Well Community Garden at Edmondson Pike Library is more than a place to plant and grow; it’s a space where healing and connection take root. On planting day, students from Antioch High School joined library staff and volunteers to bring the garden to life. In conversations with them, it became clear how meaningful this shared space is. Many spoke about how grateful they felt to have a peaceful place to gather, breathe, and reconnect.
When the garden was first imagined, the goal was simple: to create a welcoming environment where neighbors of all ages could come together, feel safe, and nurture both the earth and their own well-being. “It was a special moment to realize that is what it had become for the kids,” said Bassam Habib, Be Well program manager. Seeing that vision realized through the eyes of these students was a powerful reminder of why spaces like this matter.
Programs like the Be Well Community Garden reflect what Nashville Public Library does best: building community, fostering belonging, and offering hope in times of need. By supporting the Library Foundation, you help ensure that transformative projects like this one continue to grow, cultivating not just gardens but connection across our city.
