Since she was just 2 years old, Lyric Lucas knew she wanted to help her community.
The Prince William County, Virginia, fifth-grader — known as “The Veggie Princess” — has stayed true to her vision.
Through Lyric’s Garden Club, she’s getting fresh fruits and vegetables to those in need.
“When I was 5 years old, I was watching TV, and then I saw a commercial come on about kids who can help the community. So I asked my mommy if I could start a garden club,” Lucas told WTOP.
Among the delights being offered are zucchini, cumbers, tomatoes, green beans and “a lot of other veggies,” Lucas said. Right now, though, they’re preparing for the next season.
She doesn’t work on just one garden, either.
“I have three gardens. And then I have four host gardens, which are farmers who give their vegetables to me so that I can give them away in the community.”
The produce is given away for free to those who need it. And Lucas is also on a “Grow -N- Give” mission.
“Grow -N- Gives are when we get veggies and give them away to the community for free. And lately, we’ve been doing grab-n-go’s, where we put the veggies in some baggies, and put them on a table, and people can come get the veggies safely,” Lucas said.
“Some people don’t have enough money to buy fruits and vegetables. So I give them away for free.”
Lucas said getting fruits and vegetables to the people who need them makes her happy.
And she has another goal in mind too: a food truck for deliveries.
“We’ve been taking donations so that we can get a food truck one day and drive around neighborhoods giving away the free fruits and vegetables,” Lucas said.
And she’s imploring more people to host gardens. Anyone in D.C., Maryland or Virginia who’s interested in hosting a garden can find information online.
“It helps other people get free fruits and vegetables, and the more gardens we have, the more we can feed the community,” Lucas said.
WTOP’s Melissa Howell contributed to this report.
This article is part of WTOP’s TOP Kids program, where kids in the D.C. area are recognized for the amazing things they do. The winners are awarded $500. The program is sponsored by Northwest Federal Credit Union. Nominate a TOP Kid you know here.
