eNEWS
September 2009 > GIFT Gardens connects gardening enthusiasts through volunteering, forms partnerships to assist low-income Alachua County residents
GIFT Gardens (Gainesville Initiative for Tasty Gardens) builds raised-bed vegetable gardens for low-income Alachua County residents and the institutions that serve them, increasing self-sufficiency by enabling recipients to supplement some of their food needs with delicious, healthy vegetables grown in their yard. GIFT Gardens recipients and those who have volunteered to build gardens are invited to a Volunteer Appreciation Event and Workshop noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20 at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville.
The event will connect gardening enthusiasts who will be able to assist each other in learning the ins and outs of organic gardening.
FOG is partnering with United Way of North Central Florida during their Day of Action Sept. 9, mobilizing 20 volunteers to build gardens at five Gainesville institutions.
GIFT Gardens provides institutions that serve low-income and underserved Alachua County residents with up to 10 raised-bed vegetable gardens. FOG and the United Way volunteers will install GIFT Gardens at a Gainesville Harvest host site, Sisters Helping Sisters in Need, Greens Group Home, Horizon Center Alternative School and Parkview Baptist Church during the Day of Action, a call-to action for individuals to give, advocate and volunteer in the areas of education, income and health. Institutions use the gardens in a variety of ways, from providing high-quality, nutritious food to food banks and pantries to teaching children the basics of science and math using the gardens as curricula.
FOG has developed a number of other important partnerships to assist GIFT Gardens recipients:
• Community Weatherization Coalition completes energy
audits for income eligible homeowners and
puts into place some of the measures that can
help to save energy at the house, and reduce energy bills.
• IFAS Master Gardeners assist GIFT Gardeners with advice and encouragement on how to maintain their gardens for a successful harvest.
• Alachua County Waste Management supplies GIFT Gardeners with free wire compost bins and kitchen scrap keepers. Waste from the kitchen and garden are transformed into wonderful compost to re-nourish garden soil, while reducing curbside trash.
• University of Florida Young Entrepeneurs for Leadership and Change provides high school students the opportunity to learn valuable job skills by assisting with GIFT Gardens installation.
• Loften High School's Professional Academies Magnet at Loften provides starts for GIFT Gardens.
For information about GIFT Gardens, visit http://foginfo.org/gift, call 352.377.6345 or email fog@foginfo.org.
RESOURCES
GIFT Gardens
FOG Volunteer Opportunities
United Way of North Central Florida
Community Weatherization Coalition
IFAS Master Gardeners
Alachua County Waste Management
University of Florida Young Entrepreneurs for Leadership and Change