Cultivating Community Wellness, Economic Resilience & Healing
Mellissa’s Garden
Mellissa’s Garden is the inaugural pilot initiative of RISE, designed to demonstrate how community-centered wellness, education, regenerative enterprise, and economic resilience can coexist in one sustainable model.
​
OUR VISION
To cultivate a thriving community ecosystem where individuals come together to heal, learn, share knowledge, and build resilience through connection to plants, land, and one another.
​
OUR MISSION
Mellissa’s Garden, as a pilot initiative of RISE, exists to advance holistic community wellness, economic resilience, and regenerative living practices through:
​
-
Medicinal plant cultivation and access
-
Educational programming and skill-building
-
Holistic health and healing services
-
Community-centered gathering and cultural exchange.
The Story Behind the Garden
Mellissa's Garden was inspired by love - the kind of love that changes you and calls you to something greater.Â
​
My daughter, Mellissa, was seven when she was diagnosed with leukemia. She endured 26 months of chemotherapy with grace beyond her years. The treatment gave us more time, but it also let to the congestive heart failure she was diagnosed with at 27. Doctors gave her six months to live. She stayed five more years, and passed away on January 17, 2022.Â
​
In 2024, facing my own breast cancer diagnosis, I chose to lean into my faith and walk a natural path towards healing. This garden is my tribute to Mellissa - and my invitation to you to find comfort, strength and nourishment in the plants she inspires me to share.Â
Our Initiatives
Phase 1: Planting the Seeds
Medicinal Plants & Apothecary
Locally grown, organic medicinal herbs and hand-crafted herbal products - teas, tinctures, and remedies made with care and intention.
Education & Skill Building
Peer-to-peer workshops where neighbors teach neighbors and elders pass down generational wisdom.
​
​
Phase 2: Cultivating Community
Community Gathering & Cultural Space
A place to come together - for meals, workshops, storytelling and connection.Â
Wellness & Healing Services
Holistic care offered by local practitioners, brining accessible wellness services to the community.Â
​
The future of Mellissa's Garden starts here.
These newly sown seeds represent more than plants—they are the foundation of a community-centered vision for wellness, education, and resilience. As they grow, they will provide medicinal herbs, learning opportunities, pollinator habitat, and resources that help neighbors support neighbors. This is where the journey begins.
