Happy National Food Bank Day! Many local food banks appreciate donations of dollars and non-perishable food items, but did you know you can donate extras from your vegetable garden too?
The H.O.P.E. Project, Helping Omaha’s People Eat, is a service project run by Nebraska Extension Master Gardeners of Douglas-Sarpy Counties, and provides fresh produce to area food banks. Master Gardener project leader Morrie Naumann has this to say “Using our Master Gardener skills to grow vegetables to help those in need is so rewarding.”
So far this growing season, the HOPE Project has donated over 7800 pounds of fresh produce to the Heartland Hope Mission, who in turn distributes it to area food pantries. While this is a lot of fresh vegetables, herbs and fruit, it by no means supplies enough food to meet the need.
Community and residential gardeners are invited to participate by putting in an extra plant or two or an entire row and donating the extra vegetables to food banks and pantries. In America, let’s work together to ensure no one has to go to bed hungry.
