Volunteers Help the GNG Grow

A garden may grow by itself (thank you, God), but it needs careful tending -- planting, weeding, regular watering, sharp eyes to spot perfectly ripened vegetables hiding among oversized and prickly leaves, and gentle hands to harvest them.

For these tasks, we depend on two teams of volunteers who gather weekly at the garden at 4 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. Friday, weather permitting. These sessions are scheduled around the working hours at the Downers Grove Area FISH pantry, which distributes most of the produce we raise to their food insecure clients on Tuesdays and Fridays. The Downers Grove Public Library also provides Good News Garden vegetables, delivered each Friday, to qualifying patrons.

Most of our garden volunteers happily participate year after year. The work isn't hard and it doesn't take much time -- usually just 30 or 40 minutes per session. But that's enough time to ensure that none of our vegetables are overripe when they're delivered to FISH and the library. It also is plenty of time for our volunteers to share gardening tips and enjoy each other's company throughout the planting and harvesting seasons.

While some volunteers become regulars (especially the Friday morning team), others participate on a drop-in basis. The Monday team leader, Anne Nelsen, purposely scheduled that weekly session for 4 p.m. as a way of encouraging young families to stop by the garden on their way home from the pool or other summer activities. Later in the season, that time also works for those who can come after school.

We've found that kids, especially, enjoy planting tiny seeds, picking vegetables from the vine and seeing how quickly the poundage adds up. But really, do we ever outgrow the thrill of partnering with nature in the incredible work of raising food?

We'd love to have you join us as you're able in the Good News Garden. To learn more about volunteering, contact the church office at 630-968-9188 and leave a message for team leader Malinda Hamann (Friday) or Anne Nelsen (Monday).