Free Rain Barrels for Gardens Are Available to 30 Tribal Elders

CHEROKEE, NC, March 17, 2011 – Ten tribal members are offering free sustainable water systems that include rain barrels to 30 enrolled tribal elders as a community service project. The water systems and related information will be available at no charge to the first 30 elders who call and must be ordered by March 28, 2011, by calling Alicia Jacobs at Cherokee Preservation Foundation at 497-5550.

The community service project has been undertaken by tribal members who are participating in the Jones-Bowman Leadership Award Program to develop their leadership capabilities. The Fellows are Gerard Ball, Kristie Fuller, Lucretia Hicks, Kevin Jackson, Sky Kanott, Jessica Munson, Joey Owle, Damian Solis, Kelsey Standingdeer and Noah Wachacha.

Systems, which will be available in early April, include a water barrel to hold rain runoff, a pipe to control flow of the water, a screen to keep our bugs and debris, a water hose to water flowers. The barrel will be positioned at house gutter drop-offs. Elders will be contacted when their sustainable water system is ready.

“The goal of this project is to inform our community of a new way to be eco-friendly and to provide elders with an easy, low maintenance opportunity to expand their gardening ideas,” said Kristie Fuller, a Jones-Bowman Fellow.