A Bit about Who We Donate To

Well, week 2 was even more successful than the last. We delivered 75 lbs. of vegetables to our neighbors.

LITTLETON GARDENERS YOU ARE AWESOME!

We are delivering these vegetables to members of our community who too often cannot afford fresh produce. 

Each Wednesday, all the vegetables donated between Sunday and Tuesday are picked-up and taken to Interfaith Community Services' food bank. Interfaith has been serving the South Metro Denver community for over 40 years. In addition to their food bank, they offer a wide variety of services including homeless prevention programs, assistance to homebound seniors, and Ready, Set, School!, which outfits low-income children with new clothes, backpacks, and school supplies so they can start their first day of school on the right foot. The mission of Interfaith is to foster the self-sufficiency and respect the dignity of each of their clients. The mission of Interfaith and its motto 'neighbors helping neighbors' is a true representation of what Gardening for Good is all about and we are excited that we can play a small part in their service to the community.

On Mondays, we deliver all donated vegetables to senior and family residents of the Littleton Housing Authority (LHA).  LHA 'seeks to strengthen our community by creating opportunities for diverse housing alternatives'.  The LHA operates three senior housing residences and also offers affordable, quality housing to over 100 families in Littleton.  Each week we deliver vegetables directly to these senior residences and to all the families who have signed up to receive vegetables.  In this way, we hope to reach members of our community who cannot easily travel to Interfaith's food bank or who could use the support but have no need for food bank services.  More importantly, we aim to develop a community of sharing that is more direct, interdependent, and interactive.  To this end, we deliver the vegetables in person each week and plan to host several events to bring volunteers and recipients together.

Yesterday, when delivering vegetables I was told by one recipient to say thanks to all the gardeners who have so kindly shared their bounty.  So again and always THANK YOU!

First Full Week and Wow!

I am so excited.  I just returned from the G4G garden plot with cucumbers, squash, swiss chard, and lemon cucumbers!  I guess we did not have to wait long at all for the other vegetables to arrive.  It is amazing how quickly things are growing and maturing now.  I took a picture of the plot a couple weeks ago (below) and it is unrecognizable - some of our tomato plants are approaching five feet and the cucs, squash, and zucchini have taken over the whole front plot.  It is so fun to watch.

But that is not why I am writing.  I am writing to report on the success of our first full week of donations.  I have to admit I did not expect much until the end of the month or beginning of August so I am blown away.  On Wednesday I delivered about 10 pounds of zucchini and sqaush to Interfaith Community Services' food bank.  Today, I weighed all the vegetables we collected since then and the grand total is 45 lbs.  We will deliver these to Amity Plaza residents (Littleton Senior Housing community) tomorrow.  

That puts us at almost 60 lbs. for our first full week. Amazing.  And I cannot begin to describe the radioactive sized vegetables we have received.  

This just affirms what I already knew - 
Littleton gardeners do not just have green thumbs, they are also amazingly generous.  Thank you!  This project is nothing without your generosity and we cannot begin to convey how appreciative we are.  

Happy gardening and be well.

The G4G Garden the first week of July 2010

First Week's Bounty (7/18/2010)