Join us in honoring Julie Samuels, Chicago community gardening pioneer, on Saturday Sept. 26 from 2-4pm

Hello community gardeners! Over the past two years, we’ve been working on ways to create a lasting memorial and tribute for our dear colleague and friend, Julie Samuels, who passed away on July 19, 2024.

All of us who knew and worked with Julie, those of us who stood by her side at workshops and in gardens were devastated when she passed away unexpectedly. We had known Julie as an unstoppable force, who had boundless energy and brought a tireless persistence to her work as a community organizer and educator with wonderful positivity and so much knowledge to share. Julie helped create CCGA and her tireless advocacy helped make CCGA what it is today. We continue to be inspired by Julie’s legacy and are committed to continuing her work through the CCGA.

We are excited to invite you to the Garfield Park Conservatory on Saturday, September 26 from 2-4pm to remember Julie and visit the special memorial bench that has been installed in her honor in the outdoor Urban Demonstration Garden. We hope this contributes to her legacy, for people to discover Julie’s impact on community gardening while visiting the Conservatory, one of her favorite places.

Please RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/JulieMemorialBench and you can also let us know if you’d like to bring a dish to share! As you know, Julie was a big fan of potlucks!