Paradise Parking Plots Community Garden

About

Paradise Parking Plots Community Garden is a two-acre former parking lot that exists to provide refugees and immigrants in South King County with opportunities to grow culturally familiar foods, connect with others, and have space for kids and families to engage with the outdoors.

Categories Program Adults BIPOC Children & Youth Mental Health

Program Details

Paradise Parking Plots Community Garden in Kent, WA is a two-acre former parking lot transformed into a thriving community space. A project of World Relief Western Washington in partnership with Hillside Church, it unites refugees, immigrants, and local residents from over 30 countries to grow culturally meaningful foods, thus improving health, food access, and economic independence while building community. The space is also a premier example of community-based green stormwater infrastructure, diverting thousands of gallons of stormwater runoff annually through our five rain gardens, bioswale, removing 20,000sqft of impermeable asphalt, and five 4,000gallon rainwater cisterns.

Future plans involve building out a Kid’s Learning and Play Zone, expanding the plot size to begin training new immigrant market gardeners, expanding environmental education offerings, and completing a native restoration of the remaining 0.5 acres surrounding the garden area.

Services Offered

Community garden plot rentals
Free gardening and food preservation classes
Seeds, tools, and plant starts
Environmental education classes for local youth
Summer internship opportunities for refugee-immigrant background youth

Contact Lucas McClish – Community Garden Coordinator Amy Kuhl – Resiliency Programs Manager Medard Ngueita – Executive Director Lmcclish@wr.org Akuhl@wr.org Mnegueita@wr.org (253) 277-1121 World Relief Western Washington

Population Served
Refugees and immigrants in South King County, WA.

Staff Composition
Paradise Parking Plots Community Garden is managed by one full time garden coordinator with a background in environmental science. Additional program support staff include a Resiliency Program Manager, Learning and Development Coordinator, and Grants Manager.

Cost to Participate
$40.00 annual plot rental fee with scholarships available for those under high financial duress.

Research Connections

We have been involved in ongoing research with the University of Washington since 2024. We are working with faculty and undergraduate students from the College of the Environment to measure our site’s impact on mitigating local flooding and water pollution through our green stormwater infrastructure. We formed this partnership through the Research to Action Collaboratory facilitated by Urban@UW. You can read more on this project here.

Aerial photo of the garden showing several rows of raised beds surrounded by trees and shrubs.

Garden with curving paths, pond on the right, and bridge on the left. In the left background three adults are removing mulch from a wheelbarrow and spreading it.

Raised bed gardens filled with produce and flags from different countries.

Several adults and a child gathered around tables laden with fresh leafy greens.

Group of adults and children, some wearing vegetable costumes, standing in a row in front of a colorful storage container with fruits and vegetables painted on it.

Two adults readying a garden plot for planting with young child in foreground.

Paradise Parking Plots in the Media

The Today Show
Watch: Community garden becomes sanctuary for new refugees

The Seattle Times
Read: South Seattle plant program helps immigrants, refugees put down roots

Christianity Today
Read: A Seattle-Area Ministry Wants More Cooks in the Kitchen

Recent Case Studies

A group of individuals gather wearing traditional clothing.

Program

Whiteswan Environmental (WE): Restoring Indigenous Kinship Through Truth, Healing, and Classroom-to-Place-Based Education

Whiteswan Environmental reconnects our Saltwater Salmon People with ancestral village sites, camps, reef net teachings, and 13 Moons food systems through classroom and place-based learning as part of our work in truth and healing.

People walking along concrete paths between planted garden areas. Annotations and arrows identify features and flows.

Place

Xuhui Runway Park

Formerly an airport runway, this 36-acre park now includes themed gardens, constructed wetlands, outdoor event spaces, and plenty of options for "green" commuting while preserving elements of its aviation history.

A brown and white goat on a leash stands on a cement walkway with signs about Philly Goat Project placed on the side.

Program

Philly Goat Project (PGP)

Philly Goat Project is a nature-based nonprofit rooted in community wellness. The organization’s aim is to bring folks together alongside the joyous presence of trained goats.