07/10/2026
Some pics are too special to leave in our camera roll.
A few months ago, our team had the privilege of visiting the historic W.I. Patterson Community Center in Durham’s Crest Street neighborhood. Somehow, between flowers, weddings, and everyday life, we never shared this incredible day.
Our beloved Mr. Ron organized the experience as a Black History Month staff activity for EG. The visit was especially meaningful because the community center is named for his father, Willie “W.I.” Patterson, whose leadership helped preserve the Crest Street community.
We learned about the neighborhood’s remarkable history of activism, resilience, and community from Donzell Patterson, Ernest Basson, Wayne Odom, Audrey Odom, Kathy Patterson, and Anthony Patterson, who shared powerful stories of Crest Street’s past and future. We ended the afternoon with lunch from Durham’s iconic Chicken Hut.
Now comes the full-circle part...
Mr. Ron recently celebrated his 70th birthday. We challenged ourselves to collect 70 books for 70 years to honor this milestone. We’re thrilled to say we’ve already reached that goal!
Those books will become Mr. Ron’s Reading Room at the W.I. Patterson Community Center—a tribute to Mr. Ron, his family, and their extraordinary legacy of service.
But we’d love to keep going.
If you have a gently loved (or new!) book (particularly kid’s books) you’d like to share, we’d be honored to include it. Drop your donations off at The English Garden and help us fill Mr. Ron’s Reading Room with stories for the next generation. 📚
And one last thing...
I’ll always be grateful for the day Mr. Ron was my Uber driver. One unforgettable conversation later, I asked him to consider joining us at EG.
The rest is history.
Our customers adore him. Our team loves him. He brings kindness, wisdom, and joy everywhere he goes. We are incredibly lucky to call him part of The English Garden family.
Thank you, Mr. Ron, for reminding us that the greatest legacy we leave is the one we invest in others. ❤️
Special thanks to Avery Mason Photography for the pictures of our visit.
CommunityMatters ReadingChangesEverything
