Garden of H.O.P.E.

Harvesting has been underway for several weeks at our Garden of H.O.P.E.--Helping Other People Eat. Lots of kale, chard, eggplants, beans, zucchini, lettuce, and a variety of herbs have been taken to the ARK each week this summer to provide nourishing fresh produce for clients facing food insecurity. In addition, the tomatoes are starting to turn from green to red, and the fresh garlic has been pulled up and is now drying until it is ready to be distributed! The recipients are thrilled to be able to receive our bounty, and we receive warm thanks each time we drop off our harvested produce.

This summer  we welcomed some of the summer campers into the garden. They walked around, smelled and touched, and some were even brave enough to sample the herbs we have growing. It is wonderful to be able to show the children the sources of the food they eat each day and they did a great job asking and answering questions about the crops.

Our team of volunteers had lots of help from Mother Nature at the start of this season with abundant rain, and as the calendar turned to July, we welcomed nice warm temperatures. Garden volunteers usually gather about 9:45 a.m. on Tuesdays, if you'd like to join in, and no previous gardening experience is necessary! In addition, watering and weeding assistance is needed on other days. If you'd like to help out with this fulfilling mitzvah project, please contact Barbara Bruno at barbarajobruno@gmail.com, or stop on by any Tuesday morning!