The community gardening movement continues to grow with momentum and impact nationwide. Benefits of community gardens in urban and suburban areas include improving neighborhoods and communities, promoting healthy lifestyles, increasing grass-roots partnerships, and much
more. The Community Garden Support Program empowers community food growers to increase the local food supply within the region, and in particular, utilize the education, programming, and harvests to nourish food insecure households.
In 2017 and 2018, The GardenWorks Project supported 10 community gardens that purposefully used their gardens to educate communities on the importance of a healthy lifestyle and diet, empower community members to grow food for themselves, and/or use harvests to support hunger relief, such as providing donations to a local food pantry.
In 2019, The GardenWorks Project Community Garden Support Program is pleased to offer a resource grant to three organizations that desire to begin or enhance a community gardening project. Each project will receive the following:
- 5 handmade, 4’ x 8’ x 8” cedar raised-bed frames along with soil and compost
- 25 free seed packets
- Discounted seedlings at our Spring Seedling Sale (May 19th, West Chicago)
- 20% off additional raised-bed garden frames available for sale at our Resource Center
- Free attendance to all GardenWorks Project educational offerings
Applicants must be a group located in DuPage County or a town directly adjacent to DuPage County. Participants are required to donate a portion of produce grown in the community garden to a local food pantry as part of the program.
The application process will open between 2/1/2019 and 3/15/2019, and applicants will be informed of awards by April 15,
