Stand Up for THE BUG
By Stephanie Yang, HIP Organizer
Stephanie Yang, LBHS Class of 2006
Growing up in South Sacramento, vandalism and theft were daily occurrences. Community parks and gardens that I would go to as kids were often vandalized and deteriorated over time because no one ever came to help repair or restore it. The city did not care and sadly neither did our community. In recent years, Luther Burbank High School (LBHS), my alma mater, has started to turns things around. Students and teachers at Luther Burbank came together to build a beautiful urban garden that gave students an opportunity to cultivate their plants and provided a space for social emotional healing. Recently, the Burbank Urban Garden, affectionately referred to as the BUG, has been plagued by a series of thefts and vandalisms that damaged the hard work students and staff put into their urban garden. Whereas before, the community may have turned the other cheek or ignored the issue, I am thrilled to see community members, students, School Board Trustee Vang and LBHS officials come together to rebuild and replace plants and tools that have been stolen. Our communities will not improve unless we take ownership of it. As a LBHS alumni, I am so proud to see the accomplishments of the Burbank Urban Garden and will do my part to stand up for students, urban gardens, and our community. Together with Hmong Innovating Politics, I will be donating to the Burbank Urban Garden and hope you will join me in supporting this important cause.