By Allison Pari

KHTS is gearing up for its third annual Home and Garden Show this weekend at the Hyatt Regency in Valencia. In conjunction with the Emergency Expo, the Home and Garden Show will feature booths from local businesses, educational seminars and exciting giveaways.

There will be something happening for all ages. SC Family of Water Suppliers is scheduled to give a seminar on gardening for children, while Placerita Nature Center will educate parents on what to do in the case of a bee sting or snake bite—an important consideration when children have their hands down in the dirt among the flowers. Home Depot also plans to hold a Kid’s Building Clinic in the morning, with a free building kit and apron for every participant

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Free samples and hands-on activities from exhibitors are essential to the atmosphere of the Home and Garden Show, and the SCV Habitat for Heroes is no exception. Emphasizing the importance of family and working together for the community, SCV Habitat for Heroes invites people of all ages to stop by their Veggies for Vets booth and help build raised vegetable gardens or paint herb pots for veterans’ homes.

According to their website, local community leaders and Habitat for Humanity San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valleys started SCV Habitat for Heroes, because “Santa Clarita Valley’s veteran population exceeds 10,000… Reports indicate that 80,000 vets who served after 9/11 are paying more than 50% of their income for housing, leaving little for repairs or modifications to their homes. Often their homes fall into foreclosure, leaving the families, their neighbors and the community at risk.”

“We’ve had such a great outpouring of high school kids who wanted to get involved,” said SCV Habitat for Heroes Cofounder Carl Goldman.

Habitat for Heroes started the Veggies for Vets program, because building vegetable gardens seemed like the perfect way to get involved and help local veterans, until Habitat has the means to begin building homes.

“Vegetable gardening for their families and loved ones is a small way that veterans, who are injured or who otherwise have trouble supporting their families, can support their loved ones with inexpensive, healthy food,” said Habitat spokesperson Sarah Steffen.

Some planters will go directly to veterans who have already had their homes refurbished. Others will be put into storage for homes that will be improved or built in the future. Click here to learn more about SCV Habitat for Heroes or if you are interesting volunteering or donating.

The Home and Garden Show will run from 9am to 5pm on Saturday, March 31 and 10am to 4pm on April 1. Admission is free. For more information about this event or the Emergency Expo, click here.