They've lost plants ripped away from their garden. And despite a sign asking "please don't eat the veggies," someone lugged away a pumpkin.
But for the inner city kids who've planted the garden with the Kimount Club at East Sixth Avenue and Prince Edward Street, growing vegetables and fruit is one of many ways to make their summer worthwhile.
"It hurts the kids," said Kimount Club coordinator Joel Thom about the recent thefts. "They notice when things go missing."
But more important, he said, is how pleased the Mount Pleasant community is to see the garden spring up.
Brittany Liska, who volunteered with inner city schools through the University of B.C.'s Trek Program, started the garden at the 70year-old club last summer after she received a grant. This year, children in the KidSafe program, which provides a safe haven when schools are closed, dug up grass and planted herbs, fruits and vegetables that include peas, beans, squash, potatoes, strawberries, lettuce, beets and blueberry bushes.
While five to 13-year-olds water, weed and harvest, Liska teaches them about garden ecosystems, collecting seeds and how to cook their bounty.
"I've seen such a change with the kids of learning to respect things and take care of things and take ownership," Thom said.
"A lot of our kids use that space as a space for tranquility," he added. "They choose those garden spaces as their safe space to go and decompress and take a few moments."
Nine-year-old Mitra Morgan has attended the club for two years.
She marvelled that the garden includes a "gigantic" zucchini that is almost the size of her arm and was planning to take home a "teensy" carrot the size of her thumb. She has grown tomatoes and flowers on the balcony of her apartment and has always liked eating vegetables, but she's learned something new.
"I like the fresh stuff," Morgan said.
The Kimount Club is one of 11 Boys and Girls Clubs of South Coast B.C. in Metro Vancouver.
It's where kids go to be kids.
"Just come here and experience many different opportunities and things that you can't do in a one-bedroom apartment," Thom said.
Kimount offers team and non-traditional sports, homework clubs, tutoring and games that "trick youth" into sharpening their language skills and a music program. Teens can learn leadership skills and receive training in child abuse prevention.
"If someone wants to come and just shoot a game of pool or play foosball, or we have toy boxes full of Barbies and Legos and all that kind of stuff, where kids who maybe don't have those things at home can come in and experience what it is to play with those things as a child," Thom added.
The club serves youth aged six to 18, most of whom come from the many nearby apartment buildings. Many are from singleparent homes.
"We have over 25 languages spoken in the club," Thom said.
The club welcomes youth from any economic background.
crossi@vancourier.com Twitter: @Cheryl_Rossi
