Volunteer Spotlight: A Blossoming & Enduring Partnership, in - and with - the Garden

Lizi Bennett and Matt Challes are Growing Center volunteers who got engaged in the garden during the Wreath Sale.

Since its inception, the Growing Center has always been a place for people to gather, learn, celebrate, and grow in community, together. 

This is the story of two volunteers - a couple - who joined the Growing Center’s volunteer crew together, and over countless work days in the garden and time spent volunteering at events, grew even closer together over subsequent months. Until one day… 

Well, let’s start at the beginning.

In 2023, Lizi Bennett and Matt Challis moved to Union Square and almost immediately found the Growing Center and attended one of our Volunteer Orientations.

“Initially, it was something [I thought] I would get involved in because volunteering and community work means a lot to me,” said Matt. “And Lizzie kind of had the sense of ‘I can do stuff every once in a while.’ But as soon as I started, Lizi just jumped on it too after seeing what it was like.”

The couple initially came to volunteer to give a hand with garden and yard work - but both quickly found much more.

“I’d have a chance to pull some weeds, and every once in a while, move some soil around,” Matt said. “Then we realized it wasn’t explicitly a gardening space. It was a community space. So once we realized that we really liked it, we recognized that there was more for us to do. The community aspect of it is what really started to impact us.”

In May 2025, Lizi organized a book swap in the Garden, which saw attendees from around the community come to the Center to socialize and get some new reading material - some of whom had never been to the Growing Center before. She had heard about book swaps from a friend and wanted to go to one in the area. But after she looked around and couldn’t find any, she decided to pitch the idea to the Growing Center team.

“It was a huge success. We had over 130 people come,” Lizi said. “It's a leave-a-book, take-a-book with all genres, ages and languages encouraged. It's like a Little Free Library in real life.”

One of the biggest thrills they had was seeing a couple on their first date at last year's book swap - exactly the kind of thing Lizi had been hoping for when she planned the event.

After a successful first go, Lizi hosted a second annual book swap in 2026 - with a Bake Sale! She is excited for it to become an annual event.

Fast forward several months from the inaugural book swap to the fall of 2025. Matt was preparing to propose to Lizi - but was looking for the perfect moment. And the perfect place.

“I knew I was going to propose to Lizi at the Growing Center,” said Matt. “Then Lizi miraculously signed up to help with the Wreath Sale before the winter holidays.” 

(The Wreath Sale is the Growing Center’s biggest fundraiser of the year, in which volunteers intricately decorate about 130 wreaths with locally sourced pinecones, dried flowers, and ornamental peppers and berries; they sell out every year!) 

“Right after the Wreath Sale we went for a walk [in the Growing Center]. I have no idea why Lizi didn’t expect it at that moment. I was a nervous wreck,” joked Matt. 

Reflecting on their increased involvement at the Growing Center over the past year, Matt emphasized how much the Garden has become a part of their story.

“It was a really nice place to do it, a place that meant a lot to us,” he said. “It was a year where we had a lot of changes and the Growing Center really grounded us. It made perfect sense to propose there.”

Not only that, but because their relationship has continued to grow and blossom while rooted in the community of the Growing Center (so many garden metaphors there), this special place has evolved from being a focal point of their lives in Somerville to an actual cause they truly believe in.

“We put some of our favorite causes on our wedding invite and our friend Courtney donated in our honor! Some of our friends have come with us to the Center, so it seemed like the best gift we could ask for,” said Lizi. “We hope to direct people to Open Hours while they’re in town for the wedding!”

Lizi and Matt encourage all members of the community to not only enjoy the Growing Center’s free public events and Open Garden Hours but to also come out and volunteer at an event or two.

“If there is something somebody is interested in and they’re thinking about volunteering at the Growing Center, there is something for them,” said Matt. “It’s just a matter of figuring out what and when and we just want people to be a part of that.”

“It’s a good place to be a neighbor in the neighborhood,” said Lizi.

The Growing Center hosts Volunteer Orientations twice a month. Find the Orientation Schedule here. There is no need to RSVP in advance, but questions can be sent to volunteer@thegrowingcenter.org. You can view the 2026 Calendar of Events here.