With a heartwarming twist, the well-attended December meeting of the Vashon-Maury Island Garden Club marked a change from the traditional business meeting and plant talk, to an outward focus on community needs.

Garden Club Program Chair Stefanie Preston and the VMIGC Board took the meeting opportunity to have garden club members educated about these local needs with the hope that members would step up to fill them. Representatives from five Vashon organizations were well-received as they shared the vision of their organizations and the needs of each of them. Cindy Stockett from the Friends of Mukai, Tim Johnson from Granny’s Attic, Julia Lakey from Zero Waste Vashon, Nancy Vanderpool from the Interfaith Council on Homelessness and Susie Kalhorn from Vashon Senior Center gave brief presentations that were embraced by club members.

“It is such a joy to be invited as a guest to talk about the Senior Center. We are always in need of volunteers and this response has certainly touched my heart,” Kalhorn said.

A holiday potluck served as an open door to discussion, and commitments. Sign-up sheets were filled, gardeners joined organizations as new members, and friends volunteered in groups to participate in Bingo Night at the Senior Center, garden clean up at Mukai Garden, serving dinners to the homeless, sorting parties at Granny’s, the promotion of Zero Waste Vashon and more.

“We have a group of energetic, giving and passionate members, and our club is committed to looking beyond our own backyards,” Garden Club President Lynn Buscaglia said.

— Deborah Richards is a member of the Vashon- Maury Island Garden Club.