This photo, taken by Plymouth resident MaryRuth Manthey won second place in our “City Landmarks” division.
Manthey writes, “Church of the Epiphany (COE) has been the home church for my husband and me for 31 years. Our children grew up in this church and I regularly took photos to document their many activities there. Eventually, they moved on to college and abroad but I have continued to document the life of our parish in my role as 'the church’s photographer!'
"Community outreach is a huge part of life at COE and our association with the NEAR food shelf goes back … decades. Many of our parishioners are avid gardeners so it seemed natural to turn some of the extra land within our borders into a garden and donate all the produce to NEAR. Thus was born the Giving Garden in 2013.
"Every spring, many willing volunteers can be seen … hoeing, weeding and watering, (and chasing out the rabbits). During the summer they are still weeding and watering (and chasing rabbits) but also gathering the produce and delivering it to NEAR. A huge sign on one side of the garden proudly charts the total pounds of food as it is donated throughout the summer.
"Our church grounds aren’t terribly extensive but in addition to the Giving Garden we have a labyrinth, memorial garden, playground, wetland areas and a variety of wildlife that roam the area. Combine that with a year full of regular church activities and I find that there is always something to inspire a photograph. Needless to say, my camera is never far from my side!"
