The Gardens that Keep Giving

Featured blog from the desk of Judy Jones, Development Director

Recently, Andy the Apple told me about our Garden of Giving program, and suggested I visit some of the gardens hosted by our Hunger Network sites.  And so I found my way (with the able assistance of a patient colleague) to the Parma Lutheran Church Community Garden.  The church is one of our main food pantry sites and is blessed to have volunteers who toil long hours in the garden so that Hunger Network clients can have better access to fresh produce.

And what I found was amazing! Garden plots that were being harvested only for Hunger Network clients - and also garden plots that were generated by private individuals, but whose generosity extends to donating at least 10% - and usually more – of their product to the hungry.

Parma Lutheran Church established their community garden in 2011, and today boasts 24 leased plots and four dedicated Hunger Center plots.  Last summer, an amazing 1,476 pounds of produce was harvested specifically for use at the Hunger Center, helping to feed the over 14,000 people who came to the Center in need of food.

In addition to tomatoes, the Parma Lutheran community garden also harvests peppers, green beans, lettuce, kale, radishes, eggplant and more – and this year have added potatoes to the mix.  In just three short summers, the garden’s donations top 3,100 pounds- saving the Center thousands of dollars and providing farm fresh nutritious produce to the hungry in the community.

I was awed to see that not only does the Parma Lutheran garden grow their own produce but they also are very eco-conscious, with a dedicated system of collecting water through rain barrels and compost bins to encourage the recycling of healthy plant waste.

The Parma site is just one of at least six community gardens hosted by a Hunger Network partner providing fresh produce to a Hunger Network food site.  Other gardens include Lakewood Community Service, South East Clergy Hunger Center, Redeemer IHC Crisis Center, Bountiful Basement and Garden Valley.  Additionally, Andy the Apple tells me that there are many more area gardens that operate in conjunction with the OSU Extension Center which donate much of their produce to our hunger sites.

Bridging the gap between hunger and health is what the Hunger Network is all about, so with the Gardens of Giving program we can continue to offer fresh produce to the food-insecure people of our community, helping to ensure that not only do they have food to eat, but that they have access to healthy, nutritious food. A big thank you to our Community Garden partners for helping to make this possible!