The Gardens at Caring Hands
The Power of Gardens for Food Pantries
Food insecurity is a growing issue in Iowa communities, leaving many individuals and families struggling to put food on the table. While our food pantries play an important role in providing essential support, we rely on donations and may only sometimes have fresh produce available. This was the inspiration for the Caring Hands Garden.
​
We knew that having a garden on our property would be a great way to provide fresh, healthy produce for those in need. It provides a more diverse selection of foods and ensures that our visitors can access the nutrients found in locally grown produce they need to maintain their health. Our food pantry visitors deserve to have access to fresh, healthy food.
​
In addition to providing fresh produce, our gardens also offer a number of other benefits. We are less reliant on supply chains, the food produced can be distributed at little cost to us, and they provide an opportunity for community engagement, allowing volunteers to come together to support a common cause.
Educational Opportunities at Caring Hands Gardens
From its inception, we knew we wanted to make Caring Hands Garden a model that other organizations could replicate. Our teaching garden is designed so that other organizations and individuals can learn about gardening best practices and implement their own gardens.
Volunteer Opportunities
If you love to garden, please join us for a workday in the garden. We meet on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays from 5:00 - 7:00 pm. You can come one, two, or three days a week and stay for two hours or as long as you can. There are also opportunities to volunteer at our booth at Brightside Market on Thursday evenings from June through September. If you'd like to join us, please plan to attend our next volunteer onboarding session.
