"Thanks to the Newman's Own Foundation and Net Impact, I can continue some of the work into the summer, which is just one small step bringing me closer to a much bigger project I hope to complete in the future." --Sean R. Benjamin, Jr., from the University of the Virgin Islands

When volunteers came out to paint clay pots this past 4/20, they were not just participating in a sort of reverse pun on a date normally reserved for other activities; they were taking part in a much larger community service event. The finished artworks will be filled with plants and donated to local retirement homes, where residents can use them for both gardening and cooking. 

University of the Virgin Islands student Sean R. Bejamin, Jr., helped organize the activity as part of his participation in the Newman's Own Foundation Challenge. His ultimate goal is to educate the public on how to use plants for food and medicine more often. When he noticed how many modern consumer products are loaded with chemicals and artificial ingredients, he also noticed that to buy products with more natural and organic ingredients is often cost-prohibitive. Thus was born the idea to become an outlet where people can not just learn about using plants in food and medicine (through distribution of pamphlets and videos), but also acquire the plants themselves.

The plants being donated through the pot-decorating project were grown by Benjamin and his fellow teammates. In the course of this project, Benjamin says they have learned a lot of new things, specifically about the properties of the plants themselves. There have also been a few setbacks along the way. "At one point we had to start over because the plants didn't do so well," he said, "but thanks to all those involved in the project we were able to proceed as scheduled."

Read more Newman's Own Foundation success stories here.

Participants in Decorate a Pot for 4/20 Day chose to mellow out with a different kind of green.