TITUSVILLE, Fla. – At Arts in the Garden, neighborhood kids had a place they could go to learn and express themselves creatively — until heavy flooding recently destroyed the Titusville nonprofit.
Heavy rains over the past month following Hurricane Irma have caused between 5 and 7 feet of water to flood certain places, the school's executive director Maxine Trainer told News 6 partner Florida Today.
"What's happened now is the whole of the art school and the supplies have been completely wiped out. This is the fourth time," said Trainer.
The flooding, however, is only an indirect result of the rain, Trainer said, adding that a cracked drainage pipe on nearby Tropic Street means the school became the dumping ground for floodwaters draining from elsewhere.
Trainer said she has contacted the city of Titusville multiple times about the problem and that the issue could have been addressed years ago. According to Trainer, the school has flooded many times in the past due to the same problem — but it has never been properly addressed by Titusville's Public Works Department.
"Two people from the city have come out and they say it's an 'act of God' and that's it," Trainer said. "It's not an act of God. It's neglect."
Multiple messages were left for Titusville public works officials by FLORIDA TODAY with no response.
Wendy Keirsted, whose 9-year-old daughter, Kamryn, went to the garden's summer program, feels frustrated by the city's response.
"Years ago they told her they'd have to replace these pipes," Keirsted said. "She can't even walk from her house to the garden. It really makes me angry that they will do nothing.
"And sadly the kids are the ones that are missing out," Keirsted added.
According to its mission statement, Arts in the Garden is an organization that "enriches the lives of children through art, music and dance regardless of income." Located on Rock Pit Road near South Street in Titusville, neighborhood kids are split between Oak Park and Apollo elementary schools, both of which are Title I schools.
"They basically come here to do art in the environment and they do music," Trainer said. "Above all they come here to just enjoy and express themselves, which is really important in this area."
Melony Egert is raising her 12-year-old granddaughter, Destiny Brewer, and recently discovered Arts in the Garden as the perfect outlet for the girl with "a lot of art in her all bottled up."
Earlier this summer, she decided to check out the nonprofit school. Egert said the school immediately accepted the middle schooler to its summer program without even asking for money.
"Those two weeks were so focused. I've never seen her so excited over something," Egert said.
Destiny, who is blind in one eye, said that Arts in the Garden was where she could go to be accepted and express herself creatively. She said she's felt distraught since it's been flooded.
"When I went to the garden, it was like the best day of my life," said the Madison Middle School student. "Not only did I love being there, but I loved helping the other kids around there."
Destiny found a respite at the garden, something she said was hard to come by at school. "Everybody accepted me and nobody made fun of me no matter how different I was," she said.
Now she worries that the garden is gone for good.
But despite the recurring flooding and the current damage, Trainer is determined to rebuild.
"Once upon a time it was fabulous," she said. "And it will be again."