The Garden House

06/22/2026

Hear ye, hear ye! If you’ve been wanting to keep up with The Garden House and what we’ve got going on each month you can now subscribe to our newsletter. On the 1st of each month, you can expect an email newsletter discussing our most recent event, what’s to come next, and get a general idea of what we stand for and what we intend to do in the future.

06/21/2026

I’m so excited we were able to get this up! It’s going to be so much easier to keep up with us now, and for us to get more streamlined feedback on what our community needs. Y’all stay tuned!

06/20/2026

While our picnic has turned into a collaborative event, we want to make sure people don’t forget the main goal of The Garden House. Hence, sharing our flyers again because ,MAN, is it hard to get the word out on social media.

On June 27th, The Garden House invites you to a free community picnic. Come and get yourself a free lunch comprised of: your choice of sandwich, chips, fruit, drink, and a sweet treat. We will also have a small pop-up pantry and closet available for anyone who needs food or clothing to take home. You can also reach out to Jess Meroney if you’d like to come by the event and get some items more discretely.

You’re welcome to grab your lunch and run, but we encourage you to stick around and hear more from other locals who want to see Soddy Daisy grow into the best version of itself.

Project Scramble Alley 2.0 will be there to help raise awareness for the local park many of us (myself included) grew up playing at.

Mona Petro will also be there to show her support for locals giving back to their community, and to share more about her vision for District 1.

Come out next Saturday and see what kind of seeds your neighbors are planting, and learn more about how we can all grow together. 💕

Use the QR code or link in the comments to RSVP and let us know you’re coming!

06/19/2026

Hello everyone! So, some things have happened.

The Garden House had originally intended to offer a free picnic lunch to any of our interested neighbors with the idea that kids would be able to enjoy this meal and an afternoon at the park.

However, after learning about the closure of Scramble Alley we thought about needing to relocate. Instead, we were offered a delightful opportunity to collaborate with some neighbors who want to hear more about what’s important to our community and what we can do to support one another.

So, come out on June 27th to hear from the folks who organized Project Scramble Alley 2.0 and let’s put our heads together on what can be done to keep our park alive. You’ll also have an opportunity to hear from the person who brought us together and candidate for District 1 County Commissioner, Mona Petro. Election time is coming soon so don’t miss your chance to hear from her. You’ll also get the opportunity to ask her any questions about her vision for District 1 (Soddy Daisy and Sale Creek).

We all share a passion for community and collaboration, and invite you to come out and learn more about our efforts and how you can get involved.

Use the QR code or the link in the comments to RSVP.

06/16/2026

Collaborative efforts with folks in our community is what it’s all about! Come out June 27th to learn more about Mona Petro, The Garden House, and Project Scramble Alley 2.0. We have varying goals, but they all align towards helping and showing up for our community.

06/15/2026

Just want to remind everyone of our upcoming pop-up picnic! Come get you a free sack lunch for you and your kiddos, and find out more about what it is we’re hoping to accomplish.

We also have some people volunteering to do free face painting! Peep the comments below for the link to RSVP!

06/15/2026

Good morning y’all! It’s a long one today!

I talk a lot about building intentional community, so I guess it’s only fair to talk about what that looks like to me. I also want to preface by saying that none of us are perfect examples of community nor do we exemplify the traits of a perfect “good neighbor”. But we keep an open heart and mind everyday and look for ways to be better. And here’s what we learned along the way.

Community means being inconvenienced.
- There are going to be times where we have to begrudgingly help our friend move or do the community service not because we want to but because it needs to be done. Trust me. I’m a hermit who would love to stay holed up in my cubby.

Community means being annoyed by other people.
- To put it bluntly…sometimes, people are cringe. But we don’t have to be cruel. Other times, people will have opinions we may not agree with. But we don’t have to sneer. When we only accept people who we think for our mold we end up missing out on some great people and opportunities.

Community is not a collection of perfectly regulated people.
- You or someone else will have a moment where they react in a defensive way at some point. It’s okay to have those very human moments. The key is being able to correct problems when they arise in a healthier way. Not to sweep it under the rug, but to address the issue and grow from it together. So, let’s hold a little more space for people when they slip up.

Community is not just your nearest and dearest. Which is to say, we’re not all going to be best friends.
- Sometimes, I use this phrase, “I want you to eat just not at my table.” When I talk about intentional community, I mean looking out for all of your neighbors in their time of need. Even if you really think Mary Ann is the most obnoxious person on the planet. We still wouldn’t let her starve.

These are just a few of the truths we’ve learned about community. It’s not a perfect space where everyone is happy all the time. It’s a space where people can feel safe in coming just as they are, and knowing that those around them have their back no matter what. It’s about holding space for our fellow human in their moment of need. Because at the end of the day, isn’t that the thing we all crave most in the world? Is someone to hold out their hand and say, “You’re not in this alone.”

06/13/2026

We’re going to start up game nights and such for people to start getting to know their neighbors in a virtual setting. It’s low stress way to say hey! And if you like to game, it’s a nice way to parallel play and meet more of our volunteer team~

Check out the The Garden House community on Discord - hang out with 22 other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.

06/12/2026

To enter the raffle, please follow the steps below and engage with this post.

We will be choosing raffle winners on July 25th during our Back to School cookout. This event is completely free. Come out and have a burger, get your face painted, make some crafts, and possibly win a backpack full of school supplies to help start your year off right!

06/12/2026

Links for each event can be found in the comments below. And if you’re interested in being more involved with the good work we’re doing feel free to join the Discord!