This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

CLEVELAND (WJW)– FOX 8 News is recognizing Remarkable Women in our communities. Throughout Women’s History Month, we will highlight four local women who inspire, lead and forge the way for other women.

Meet Tanya Holmes, who took an overgrown lot on Cleveland’s east side and turned it into a place for learning and sharing a love of community.

Once the snow melts, the Ka-La Healing Garden Center transforms into a field of green. In May, after school is out, Holmes will take as many as 35 children from her area and teach them how to grow and cook their own food. She said many rely on fast food or frozen meals every day, and are surprised that a small seed can grow into a huge plant full of squash or tomatoes.

By the time they leave after 10 weeks, they not only know how to grow things, but how to make compost, prepare seed beds and learn how to landscape.

Holmes said it’s not just about the food, but also to get young people thinking about a future and setting goals.

“A vision board is where do you see yourself in five years. So give me your blueprint. You want to be a doctor, how you gonna get there? Show me in five years how you gonna do those things,” she said.

Holmes said when they first started 12 years ago, the plan was always to make this place a welcoming space. It’s become many things to many people.

It’s a place for seniors to gather and feel safe. A location for folks in need to get PPE, school supplies and personal care products. A home for a farmers market on summer weekends. There are cooking classes and music.

“Come out your houses. We want people to come out their houses and find out what’s going on,” Holmes said.

“We have Juneteenth events. We have jazz in the garden. Everybody in the community, come out. It’s just a place. We do census over there. People can sign up for census packages, voter registration and we just kept getting more and more involved in the community.”

Ka-La is an abbreviation for Haleakala, a Hawaiian word meaning house of sun. Holmes said she hopes this community space will be that house of sun where many seeds continue to grow.

“When you know better, you do better. That’s the bottom line with anything with you. Know better, you do better and when you do better, you can help someone else,” she said.