On April 26, Duke alumni living in Richmond partnered with the community members of the city's historic Highland Park neigbhorhood to plant a garden. The event was part of the annual Duke Alums Engage (DAE) Week, held April 25-May 4 this year in 60 cities in the United States, England and Singapore. DAE Week provides opportunities for alumni to partner with local organizations on community service projects addressing topics such as health, education and access to resources. In addition, DAE Week dedicates space for participants to reflect on the social and political issues affecting their cities.
For the third year in a row, alumni in Richmond worked with local non-profit, Boaz & Ruth, founded by alumna Martha Rollins '65, AM'68 to address systemic and structural barriers to employment -- especially for formerly incarcerated individuals. Since 2003 the organization has built and maintained an entrepreneurial commercial corridor in Highland Park that has created hundreds of jobs through the organization's Firehouse Cafe and Catering company, Mountain Movers moving company, Sunny Days Thrift Store, a construction company and a community garden.
View this slideshow capturing photos of the day in Highland Park, including the neighborhood's colorful Queen Anne-style homes and alumni and community partners at work.