ST. CLOUD – The St. Cloud Department Community Engagement Cop House is seeking donations for its neighborhood gardening club.
The COP House is looking for starter plants and seed donations. In particular, the COP House hopes to plant large tomatoes, paprika, jalapeno pepper, basil, cabbage, cucumber, coriander, Swiss chard, kale, and spinach.
The garden is used to bring the community together by getting their hands dirty, growing the food and distributing the goods to families in the area.
The organization is also asking for volunteers to help with the project, which is scheduled to start on May 24th. Anyone who can help can donate at 600 13th Street South in St. Cloud or call Officer Taylor McIntyre at 320-761-2699.
The COP House is a community outpost that opened in 2017. Modeled on a similar program in Racine, Wisconsin, the house is manned by police officers and offers contact programs, English classes, and more.
Three to four officers use the house when they are not patrolling the neighborhood streets. Their salaries are financed thanks to a federal grant.
The project cost approximately $ 400,000 to build and was funded through donations from construction work, monetary donations, and the St Cloud Rotary Club.
The group previously organized candy donations for an Eid al-Fitr event held on May 13th. They also offer classes and mentoring for local youth and have visited SCSU athletes to rest and play with the kids.
Notably, COP House hosted a hockey event in February in association with the Southside Boys and Girls Club, Herb Brooks Foundation, Center Care, and St Cloud State University.
