Acworth church earns environmental recertification while feeding thousands

ACWORTH — An Acworth church has earned a national environmental designation for the second time, and the garden at the heart of that recognition is feeding thousands of people across Cherokee and Cobb counties.

The recertification

Heritage Presbyterian Church on Bells Ferry Road has been recertified as an Earth Care Congregation by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Presbyterian Hunger Program. The designation recognizes congregations that treat environmental stewardship as an expression of faith. To earn it, Heritage reduced waste, installed motion-sensing lights and took other steps to protect the environment.

As of March of last year, 362 Presbyterian churches across 42 states hold the Earth Care certification. Eight of them are in Georgia.

Kevin’s Garden

Central to the recertification is Kevin’s Garden, a community garden on the church’s property named for a young man from the community who died in 2010. The garden includes more than two dozen plots cultivated or sponsored by members of the congregation and the broader community.

Gardeners are asked to donate a portion of each harvest to local food pantries. Last year, they provided 180 pounds of fresh produce to Heritage’s Jay Weaver Food Pantry, which distributed 334,000 pounds of food to more than 13,000 people in Cherokee and Cobb counties in 2025.

This year’s crops include tomatoes, peppers, onions, peas, sweet potatoes, radishes and beans, according to Monica Snyders, the garden’s coordinator.

“Our community partners inspire us,” Snyders said. “We each have a role to play in helping neighbors in need get enough to eat.”

Community involvement

The garden draws support from beyond the congregation. Students from Etowah High School’s JROTC program and CORE Community School in Woodstock volunteer their time there. Others support the garden financially by sponsoring a bed — $25 for a half bed, $50 for a full bed — with proceeds covering soil, fertilizer and tools.

Pastor John McCrosky said the work reflects the church’s core values.

“We seek to be good stewards of creation,” McCrosky said. “It’s one way we seek to love God and love our neighbors.”

A milestone year

The recertification comes as Heritage Presbyterian prepares to mark its 50th anniversary. The church will celebrate June 14 with a special worship service and community celebration.

Heritage Presbyterian Church is located at 5323 Bells Ferry Road, just south of Ga. 92 in southern Cherokee County. For more information, contact kevinsgarden25@gmail.com or office@heritagepres.com.