“Alison’s vision lives on every time a neighbour drops by to help, every time a box of fresh greens is delivered to a family in need, and every time our youth step up to care for the earth and each other,” shared AST alum (Certificate in Stewardship ‘25) Bonita Slunder.

The Rev. Alison Etter Memorial Fund was established by Alison’s family at AST. Created in memory of Rev. Alison Etter (MDiv'11), who passed away on Valentine’s Day 2024, this fund carries forward her legacy of community-building, creativity, and deep solidarity. 

In 2026, the fund provided grants to projects or continuing education initiatives that build or promote peace in our local communities or the wider world. Slunder was one of three recipients, and with the funding received, she secured vermiculite—a critical soil moisture absorber—for the Greater Glory Garden (GGG) at her church. 

(GGG) and the Pollination Station (PP) were established following the 200th Congregational Anniversary of St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church in Prescott, Ontario, in 2021. 

This vibrant community garden donates fresh produce to local food banks and hosts a “Junior Gardeners” program, where children learn how to tend plants through workshops she leads. 

Open to all, the Greater Glory Garden is a continuation of the congregation’s longstanding commitment to serve where needed and act as good stewards and caretakers of creation.

We spoke with Slunder to learn how funding from the Alison Etter Memorial Fund helped the Greater Glory Garden bloom into a sanctuary of peace, intergenerational connection, and community care this season.

Bonita dwarfed by the bounty around her

The 2026 Alison Etter Memorial Fund theme focused on projects that build or promote peace. How has the Greater Glory Garden served as a place of peace, connection, or healing for the Prescott community this year?

The Greater Glory Garden has served as a vital sanctuary of peace, connection, and healing for the Prescott community throughout 2026, directly embodying the spirit of the Alison Etter Memorial Fund. Thanks in large part to the fund’s support for our soil amendments, we experienced our most productive and impactful growing season to date. 

Furthermore, the busyness in the garden attracted a lot of new interest. We were especially happy to have a new group of men with disabilities who are able to live independently but would like more interaction with the community become involved. We affectionately call them Ben’s Great Group (named in honour of their developmental services worker who also created our “Alison memorial markers” for each bin), and this year they helped so much in the garden! One even planted hot peppers, and another planted tomatoes—first time ever gardening! They also helped a lot this spring with the heavy lifting and lawn care. Often, I would see people just sitting peacefully in the donated Adirondack chairs, enjoying the calm quiet of the GGG. It is peace personified.

You had a great harvest that helped support the local food bank, church events, and local families. What has been the most rewarding moment or community response for you and the team during this season?

For the team and me, the most rewarding part of this extraordinary season hasn’t just been the sheer volume of what we grew, but how that harvest wove our community tighter together when people needed it most.

If I had to pinpoint the absolute highlights, three moments stand out as the true heart of our season:

• Sharing: Delivering fresh, vibrant produce to the local food bank and directly to neighbourhood families was incredibly moving. At a time when grocery prices are a heavy burden, being able to hand someone crisp, organic vegetables grown right down the street brought a visible sense of relief. Knowing that our hard work directly eased a family’s stress and put healthy food on their table was the ultimate validation for the long hours we spent tending the bins.
  
  
• The Generational Bridge at the Harvest Gala: Seeing our Junior Gardeners stand proudly alongside the rest of the congregation at the recent Harvest Gala was unforgettable. These young people didn’t just help grow the food; they saw their efforts celebrated by the entire community. Watching seniors look at the youth with immense gratitude—and seeing the kids realize that their labour contributed to a massive, successful community feast—created a deep, mutual respect that will outlast the growing season.
  
  
• A “Living” Church Bulletin Board: The garden sparked a chain reaction of hospitality; it reminded everyone how rewarding it is to gather, eat, and take care of one another.  

Ultimately, the best community response has been the shift in how people view the garden space. It is no longer just a patch of soil with raised beds and a hillside of pollinator plants; the town now sees it as a central hub of care, comfort, and connection and a truly peaceful place to grow goodness.

Tomatoes from the Greater Glory Garden │ The Junior Gardeners sunflower experiment … they had one that grew 18 feet tall │ A glorious abundance of fruit and flower

It’s wonderful to see young people actively involved as Junior Gardeners and taking on new initiatives like the upcoming Six by Sixteen cooking program. Why is involving youth in community food ministry so vital to your mission?

Involving our youth through programs like Junior Gardeners and the Six by Sixteen Castle Church Cooking Club is not just an addition to our mission—it is the very heartbeat of it.  

When young people step into the garden or the kitchen, they transform from passive consumers into active stewards of community care. Here is why their involvement is completely vital to everything we do:

Passing on Essential Life Skills: Programs like Six by Sixteen ensure that the foundational skills of growing, harvesting, and cooking nutritious, locally sourced meals aren’t lost to a digital generation. By teaching youth food literacy and sustainable agricultural techniques, we are giving them a practical toolkit for lifelong wellness.

Fostering Intergenerational Connection: The garden breaks down social barriers. It provides a rare, safe space where our youth can work side-by-side with church elders and seasoned green thumbs. This collaborative environment builds mutual respect, dispels stereotypes on both sides, and weaves a tight, supportive community web. It’s a peaceful, quiet place to get your hands dirty and put the electronics away.

Instilling a Lifelong Ethic of Service: Through the Junior Gardeners program, our youth see the direct line between their physical labour and relief for a neighbour in need. Watching the vegetables they planted go directly to local families and the food bank shows them that they have the power to combat food insecurity. It reframes “volunteer hours” into a profound lesson in empathy and social responsibility.

Cultivating Grounded, Peaceful Spaces: Adolescence can be incredibly stressful and fast-paced. Bringing youth into the garden or a cooperative kitchen forces a slow-down. Digging in the soil, working with their hands, and sitting down to share a meal they made provides therapeutic, mental grounding and instills a deep sense of personal belonging.

The Alison Etter Fund was created to carry forward Alison’s legacy of community-building and deep solidarity. How do you see those values reflected in the day-to-day life of the garden?

We see Alison Etter’s legacy of community-building and deep solidarity reflected in the quiet, steady rhythms of our day-to-day work. Her values aren’t just abstract ideas for us; they are physically built into how the garden operates. Ultimately, the garden proves that when you feed the soil, you feed the community’s soul. Alison’s vision lives on every time a neighbour drops by to help, every time a box of fresh greens is delivered to a family in need, and every time our youth step up to care for the earth and each other. Our signposts are testament to this. Each bin proclaims 

“THANKS … Rev. Alison Etter Memorial Fund Atlantic School of Theology. Peace to all who grow love here."