The With Many Hands Alamogordo initiative is proudly marking a significant milestone: the two-year anniversary of the ribbon cutting at the Maryland Avenue Community Garden on January 27, 2024. This free, public community garden—located at 601 Maryland Avenue in the historic Chihuahuita neighborhood, directly across from the revitalized Dudley Community Center—became Alamogordo’s inaugural dedicated space for addressing food insecurity through accessible, locally grown, organically produced fruits and vegetables
Initiated under the Public Land for Food campaign in June 2023 by lead organizer Courtney McCary-Squyres and a committed group of local volunteers, With Many Hands Alamogordo has turned neglected, city-owned vacant lots into vibrant, productive community gardens. As a grassroots nonprofit (fiscally sponsored under Addition/Tides), the organization empowers residents to tackle hunger, health, and neighborhood revitalization by repurposing public land. Anyone can plant, maintain, and harvest fresh produce at no cost, treating the spaces like welcoming public parks.
The January 27, 2024, ribbon cutting drew a remarkably diverse gathering, featuring then-Mayor Susan Payne, then-Mayor Pro Tem and District 5 Commissioner Sharon McDonald, Otero County Republican Party representatives, Alamogordo MainStreet members, Tularosa Basin Historic Society volunteers, Dudley School Rehabilitation Program participants, students, media, and community members of all ages. The event underscored the garden’s role in breathing new life into the under-resourced Chihuahuita area, with ongoing collaboration from the City of Alamogordo’s Parks and Recreation Department for maintenance and educational programs—including gardening, cooking, and food preservation workshops—often held at the nearby Dudley Community Center
In the two years since, the Maryland Avenue garden has thrived as a symbol of collective effort. Volunteers have harvested abundant crops such as figs, sweet potatoes, beets, cilantro, snap peas, squash, watermelon, arugula, and more, with fresh produce freely available to anyone in need. The initiative’s success has fueled rapid expansion: With Many Hands now stewards three community gardens in Alamogordo and one in nearby Tularosa.
• Maryland Avenue Community Garden (601 Maryland Avenue, Chihuahuita neighborhood): The flagship site, featuring raised beds, trellises, a tool shed, and integration with Dudley Community Center activities.
• New York Alley Community Garden (downtown alley between N New York Ave and Delaware Ave, between 9th and 10th Streets, behind Alamogordo MainStreet): Supported by Alamogordo MainStreet’s Side Street Art Project, this urban spot incorporates raised beds for downtown beautification and food production.
• Puerto Rico Avenue Community Garden (at Puerto Rico Avenue and E 16th Street, west of the Oregon Ave Tennis Courts, approximately half an acre): The organization’s most recent and largest Alamogordo project, launched with volunteer workdays, offering space for bigger yields, children’s areas, and future growth like a greenhouse funded by grants.
• James Vigil Park Community Garden (Tularosa, accessible from Village Hall and the park): Built in August 2024 with donated raised beds from Keep Tularosa Beautiful, this site marks the initiative’s extension beyond Alamogordo, providing easy community access and room for ongoing development
With roughly 100 volunteers contributing annually, these gardens not only boost food access but also cultivate community pride, cross-cultural connections, and advocacy on local issues. Partnerships with the City of Alamogordo, Alamogordo MainStreet, local churches, and grants (including from AARP and Farm to Table’s New Mexico Farmer Innovation Program for a greenhouse and soil improvements) have sustained momentum.
Tying directly into the anniversary, Courtney McCary-Squyres addressed the Alamogordo City Commission during public comment on Tuesday, January 27, 2026—precisely two years after the ribbon cutting. She extended sincere thanks to now-Mayor Sharon McDonald and Commissioner Warren Robinson for their early advocacy and unwavering support in launching the project. She also thanked the full commission for maintaining the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the city, ensuring continued partnership and expansion. McCary-Squyres praised Acting City Manager Dr. Stephanie Hernandez and the dedicated city staff for their kind, collaborative approach to community building. She closed by urging residents to join the effort, build more beautiful and functional neighborhood gardens, and partner to broaden the mission of free fresh food and education for all
Courtney has expressed ongoing excitement, noting that “we are just getting started.” The gardens’ continued bountiful harvests, cleanups, plantings, and community events highlight enduring success, transforming a petition-born idea into a proven model of grassroots impact.
For past highlights and in-depth coverage from 2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News, see these key stories:
• Alamogordo Proud Series: With Many Hands – Early vision and partnerships.
• With Helping Hands Alamogordo Maryland Avenue Community Garden Ribbon Cutting – Detailed account of the 2024 event.
• With Many Hands Upcoming Food and Housing Summit and More – Grants, expansion, and broader impact.
• Many Hands Alamogordo Public Land for Food Campaign Community Gardens – Progress updates.
This two-year milestone, amplified by recent city recognition, powerfully demonstrates With Many Hands Alamogordo’s transformative role: alleviating food instability in Otero County, strengthening ties in historic neighborhoods like Chihuahuita, and showing that united effort—“many hands make light work”—can create lasting change. The organization is poised for even greater growth, inviting everyone to plant, harvest, and build a healthier, more connected future together
For involvement, updates, or to connect, visit the With Many Hands Alamogordo Facebook page or withmanyhands.org. As a part of our ongoing collaboration of highlighting those organizations and individuals that make Alamogordo great as a part of our #AlamogordoProud Series we offer a congratulations to Courtney McCary-Squyres, her husband and the dedicated volunteers, city partners, and every contributor—your hands have truly made this community bloom!
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