Meet Lily Chan, co-leader at the Interfaith Garden.

In 2009, the Columbia Climate Change Coalition approached avid gardener Lily Chan through her church. One of the coalition’s sub-groups, Interfaith Care for Creation, initiated a new interfaith gardening project where people from different spiritual communities work together. Their goal was to grow organic fruits and vegetables for the needy, while listening to their spiritual calling to take care of God’s creation. Chan embraced the project and began recruiting volunteers within her congregation.

Her church, the St. Thomas More Newman Center, joined forces with Congregation Beth Shalom. The collective group maintains a garden on the temple’s property. Chan is currently one of the garden’s coordinators, along with Michael Gold, Brent Lowenberg, Mary Beth Litofsky, and Rose-Marie Muzika.

Chan loves working side by side with volunteers from both faith communities to grow food for the poor. Okra is her favorite organic vegetable to grow because it is a very prolific plant that produces beautiful flowers.

– Profile by Francie Szostak