The corner of Alameda and Garrison in Lakewood is once again ablaze in orange as the 9th Annual Pumpkin Patch to benefit Habitat for Humanity opened on Oct. 11th. The patch is sponsored by a coalition of 12 local faith groups called Jeffco Partners for Interfaith Action (JPIA). On Oct. 18, the partners will open a second patch this year at the Arvada Center on Wadsworth & 68th. Both patches are open from 10 a.m. to dusk every day through Oct. 31st. Anyone interested in strolling through mounds of pumpkins on a gorgeous fall day, watching babies get their first pumpkin pictures, finding the perfect pumpkin for a jack-o-lantern or a pie, or just supporting Habitat should definitely come by. Judy Douglass, chair of JPIA, liason to the coalition from Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden, and coordinator of the patch, explains: "We do this in the spirit of faith. We believe that families who work hard and live responsibly deserve a decent home in which to raise their children." Traditionally, the patch has raised enough money for about one-quarter of the $85,000 needed to build a Habitat Home.