U of A club builds garden for veterans
The U of A chapter of Engineers Without Borders is making headlines for its work on a garden that benefits a Tucson veterans' housing community.
Engineers Without Borders (EWB), a non-profit that supports at-need communities through engineering projects, consists of more than 200 chapters across the country. The University of Arizona student chapter recently put their engineering skills to work, building a community garden at Esperanza en Escalante, a veterans' housing community.
Esperanza en Escalante provides supportive housing for homeless veterans, helping them stabilize and transition into permanent housing. As featured in a recent KGUN9 story, EWB provided community garden design services free of charge. The garden will offer residents a therapeutic space while supplementing fresh produce in the Esperanza food pantries.
“Communities come to us with projects they want implemented, and we help them plan every step of the way,” said McCarthy, a junior majoring in environmental engineering. “It's quite similar to what an engineering consulting firm does.”
EWB U of A conducts site assessments, soil and water testing, irrigation designs, a restoration plan for an existing agricultural well, cost assessments and feasibility analyses.
“Our job is to help them and their missions,” McCarthy said. “I wanted to help with this project because it connects me with volunteer opportunities in my community, but also connects me with mentors and professionals who are seeking engineers for future jobs.”