- December 16, 2025
Woody Douge, a Flagler County Department of Juvenile Justice probation officer, recruited volunteers to work at the Flagler County DJJ Community Garden, Oct. 22, the United Way Make a Difference Day, for a project he called Seeds for Change.
Douge led 18 youth and 10 adult volunteers to work on the garden.
Wearing his black United Way T-shirt, Douge met with the garden’s master gardeners and was given a list of things that needed to be accomplished by volunteers.
Loaded with garden tools, wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes, clippers and saws, all work teams began tackling the lengthy to-do list. Many volunteers took down two dead trees, while sampling fresh grapefruits hanging on productive trees. Other participants cleared raised garden boxes, preparing them for fertilization; weeded active vegetable boxes; and raked and cleaned garden grounds. Another group cleared and watered the ground around young orchard trees. A second shift of volunteers emptied an ant-infested storage unit, cleaned it out and re-organized it, while others pulled down large hanging vines that were strangling much of the property’s foliage.
“At the conclusion of the one day event, it was unbelievable how much work had been accomplished,” said Cheryl Massaro, DJJ board chairwoman. “Woody Douge’s Seeds for Change not only impacted the garden, but truly helped compliment the real purpose of United Way’s Make A Difference Day, by successfully promoting the value of community service.”
— Send Our Town notes and photos to [email protected].
