Imagine the tons of veggies those seedlings will produce! Don’t panic or start thinning them out. Believe it or not, I’m here to encourage you to grow more—to plant a row for the hungry.
And what will you do with all those veggies? Bring them to my friends at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS). This amazing organization has been “giving a hand up, not a handout” since 1976.
• SFBFS provides a five-day supply of emergency groceries to families in need six days per week.
• Over 18,000 individuals receive an abundance of fresh groceries every month.
• Food is distributed to clients in a respectful and dignified manner. Set up like an open-air farmers’ market, individuals and families are invited to see the produce, enjoy a cooking demonstration, gather health and nutrition resources, and ask questions about the products they are receiving.
Photo courtesy of SFBFS
Come by after work or on your lunch break! (Need directions? They’re right off Hwy 50 at 3333 Third Ave, Sacramento CA 95817.) Their volunteers are always happy to see you, even if you only have four zucchini and a baggie of jalapenos. (Yes, I have donated just that.)
Donations are accepted:
• Monday-Tuesday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
• Thursday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Not in Sacramento? No problem. Find the food bank that serves your area at FeedingAmerica.org and keep them in mind when you harvest your 50,000th zucchini. You don't need an official group to help out—just a giving heart.
For more information on SFBFS visit, www.sacramentofoodbank.org.
What a wonderful way to easily share produce. I love Sacramento. I used to get there several times a year because of my work in education, but now that we've moved north we haven't been back. I always loved walking around town and especially the farmer's market right in the heart of the city. I lived near Mather Air Force Base for one summer when my ex-husband was in navigator training. That was lots of fun even though a bit hot. Loved floating down the American River. - Margy
ReplyDeletePlant a Row for the Hungry seems to be everywhere. Around here, Willamette Valley in Oregon, we can donate our extra produce to the local Food Bank, The Gleaners a group who will come pick the produce and pass it along to others in need, and other local groups that help feed the hungry.
ReplyDeleteI've been the recipient and the donater. It's a good cause!
BTW - on more than one occasion we have been told the donation site was overfilled with produce and it was suggested we just put the extras out on a table in the front yard for people to pick up as they walked by. Now that's a successful program!
Another option if you are growing more food than you need is to visit www.AmpleHarvest.org - a site that helps diminish hunger by enabling gardeners to share their garden produce/herbs with neighborhood food pantries.
ReplyDeleteThe site is free both for the food pantries and the gardeners using it.
Backed by Google.com and the USDA, more than 1,750 food pantries nationwide are already on it and more are signing up daily.
It includes preferred delivery times, driving instructions to the pantry as well as (in many cases) information about store bought items also needed by the pantry (for after the growing season). A free Ample Harvest iPhone app is also available.
If your community has a food pantry, make sure they are registered at www.AmpleHarvest.org.