Nick recently relocated to the Chicago area from Virginia with his wife, Nancy, a Chicago native, and their adorable cat, Fredrick. Although new to gardening, his professional experience as a ship driver in the Navy will be useful in managing the garden. Throughout the pandemic, he became interested in sustainable food production and gardening and the possibilities of locally producing healthful to be given for free to the people of Waukegan as a form of mutual aid. He observes that the suburbanization of America and the market forces acting on its food systems result in communities that cannot feed themselves. This leaves them vulnerable to poverty and exploitation, especially during economic downturns. He believes that producing as much of our food as possible is the starting point for rebuilding our community’s power and the social bonds required for human flourishing. To this end, he dedicates his time to tending the Madelaine Fuqua Garden to produce as much food for the community as possible while simultaneously healing the landscape from the scars of suburbanization wherever possible.