Throughout the United States community gardens are providing cities and towns with benefits from beautification to produce. In 2012 those who live in Jamestown and surrounding communities will have the opportunity to make a difference with a new kind of community garden known as a Giving Garden.

In a joint effort, Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work and Play (CHP2LWP) and St. Susan Center (SSC) will be serving fresh produce to those in need. Members of the community are the most important element to the Giving Gardens 2012 project.

Any community member willing to host a Giving Garden will need only to donate time, soil and water. The remainder of growing supplies will be provided to volunteers in Giving Garden Tool Kits which include items such as seeds, seedlings, growing containers, tomato cages and garden tools. All growing containers, tomato cages and tools must be returned at the close of the growing season. “Creating Healthy Places to Live Work and Play is thrilled to be collaborating with St. Susan Center in the creation of Giving Gardens”, states Kerry Mihalko, CHP2LWP Healthy Food Consultant.

CHP2LWP is funded by the NYS Department of Health. It is focused on increasing access to healthy food and opportunities to be physically active which will help decrease obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases. “By putting reusable items in the tool kits, this program will be sustainable and provide St. Susan Center with fresh produce and community members with gardening experiences for many years”, explains Mihalko.

The yield from all the Giving Gardens will be donated to St. Susan Center where the creative cooks Evie Schroeder and Susan Cummings will create healthy, fresh dishes for those in need. Cummings explains, “The fresh produce is very appetizing. The guests like the rich flavor and color.”

There are three garden varieties for the public to choose from. These choices provide potential to take part in varying degrees of gardening expertise. The beginner kit is a container herb garden. Next is the moderate kit with the opportunity to grow tomatoes. The advanced kit is the most adventurous giving the community the chance to grow a salad for St. Susan Center. SSC hopes to serve salads and recipes full of fresh vegetables throughout the summer. During the winter the produce will make its way to SSC guests’ trays by way of freezing and canning the summer’s bounty. If you are not able to grow a garden please consider working in the SSC kitchen. We need people to assist with freezing and canning vegetables throughout the summer.

St. Susan Center serves, on average, more than 300 meals each day. Its doors are open Monday – Friday from 11am to 4pm and Saturday and Sunday from 1:30pm to 3:30pm. For more information about Giving Gardens, or to find out about volunteering, email Karen Brown (coordinator@stsusancenter.org) or call at 716-664-2253, Ext. 2. If you are interested in participating in Giving Gardens 2012 please contact SSC volunteer coordinator,  Karen Brown at the above number.