By Dana von Rinteln - July 2025
I am extremely proud to be a part of the Jensen Beach Garden Club! The members I have met, and the friendships we have formed have brought me joy that goes beyond gardening. It is a privilege to work with such truly wonderful people!
As we move through our 75th Anniversary year, I want to recognize the efforts and dedication of past club members and leaders over our seven-plus decades. This year, Lisa Oster dug through our archives and researched our past community efforts. Lisa created storyboards showcasing what JBGC was like through the years and how we have grown and evolved over our proud history.
At our monthly meeting this past January, we recognized and honored our past Presidents. We were fortunate to have several attendees who shared stories and anecdotes about what our Club was like when they were President. We are grateful for all that you've given and for what you've done to build and sustain our Club over the decades.
In recent years, JBGC has greatly increased its presence in the community. The work that we do in our gardens and downtown Jensen Beach is getting noticed. The community's excitement around our Garden Expo has significantly increased awareness of the Club. We worked with the Chamber and two other organizations to further enhance downtown JB with a native orchid project. The County Parks Division collaborated with us on a major landscaping refresh around the Log Cabin. We also enlisted the help of Jr. ROTC cadets from JBHS to assist us with this project. Their leader expressed to us what an important learning experience it was for them, providing them with practical skills and interaction within a team working toward a common goal. We can all be proud of the tremendous extent to which JBGC has become interwoven into the community!
We also reached new heights in our charitable giving this year. Through our Garden Expo, other fundraising activities (restaurant & retail givebacks, 50/50's, raffles), and a very generous anonymous member donation, we were able to invest $19,000 in our community! The funds we awarded to community services and organizations this year enabled more children than ever to attend summer eco-camps at the Environmental Studies Center, the Florida Oceanographic Society, and the Langford Park Summer Program. Through our donations, the Junior Master Gardeners will buy fruit trees and go on an educational field trip; the Boys and Girls Club plans to enhance their vegetable gardens with fruit trees. Other club donations went to the House of Hope and to the Boy Scouts, who purchased canoeing equipment that they otherwise did not have the funds to acquire.
Additionally, we were able to award not one but two college scholarships this year. It was a very proud moment to see both of our recipients awarded their scholarships on JBHS Scholarship Night at the school—incredible and very deserving young women.
And there was one thing that allowed me to connect even more with the members of this Club this year – our Yearbook! More specifically, the member photos that we included for the first time this past year. I joined in 2021, so I'm still relatively new and learning to put names with faces. The photos made that job so much easier! I hope that it's made it easier for you too!
I cannot say enough fine things about our Board and Committee heads. I feel so honored to serve alongside these talented, dedicated, and passionate individuals. Many are continuing in their roles, some are transitioning to different ones, and we have two new Board members this year. Ideas are shared, and projects discussed as a group, and all members should feel confident and proud that this Club is in good hands.
We have a great year planned for us all. I encourage you to participate as much as you can – attending meetings, going on field trips, or offering to serve on a project or committee – it's a fantastic way to get to know your fellow members, give back to the community, and feel a part of something pretty special. And have fun!
I'm so glad I joined this Club….and I know you are too!
Dana