Green thumbs use their gifts to help others

Viewers of ABC TV’s Gardening Australia program on 23 February met dedicated and talented gardener and retired Lutheran school principal Paul Sabel (above right), who has turned a beloved pastime into a way of helping others through Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS).

For more than 20 years, Paul – helped by his late wife Annette and friends Claire (above left) and Rex Zacher (above second from left) – has been propagating, watering, weeding, packing and selling thousands of plants at markets and shows. Paul, Claire and Rex were able to offer a wonderful witness during the Gardening Australia interview about what drives their philanthropic venture.

Paul and his team from South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, who are members at Victor Harbor Lutheran Church, have raised more than $540,000 to help thousands of people through ALWS over the years and he hopes to inspire others to use something they love to help others.

If you missed the episode, you can see it on demand while it remains on ABC iview – Series 35, Summer: Green walls and a GA crew’s garden.