Can You Help with a Garden for our Food Pantry Clients?

We are letting you know about a local project raising food this Spring and Summer for food pantries. Some Yorktown and Peekskill houses of worship, including our own, are working a large FREE garden space at the Westchester Korean Seventh Day Adventist Church (former Church of the Nazarene) on White Hill Rd, near Wilkens farm.

The Town of Yorktown is coming for an inspection of the property for possible removal of tax exempt status, unless it is clear that the garden is being worked and used to raise food for those in need. As a result, our Mission commission voted to try an experiment for this year and commit to helping garden one row of nearly 200 sq ft. The produce we raise will go to our Food pantry.

We would like a good effort from our church to show Yorktown that we care about healthy food for our clients. We can use any help, from one time to a regular commitment to help with soil amendment, weeding, watering, etc. The Mission Commission will start amending a section and then plant early season crops like spinach and lettuce starting this week. We want to have plants growing by the time the tax inspectors come.

Many congregation members have asked for more local Mission opportunities, and here is one that can serve God—part of giving our hearts to God— and help others at the same time. Children are welcome with adult supervision. We hope all ages will come to support our Food Pantry—one of our key service projects—with fresh organic produce. Come when it is most convenient for you; the garden is open much of the time, except during Saturday and Sunday worship, when only quiet gardening is possible.

Please let Heidi Haring know if you can help for at least an hour or so in the coming two weeks and also throughout the coming months. We hope to have a schedule after May, but please let Heidi know if you want to help so we can gauge how much food we will be able to grow.

Thanks in advance for your prayers and for your help!

GARDEN HOURS

The garden is accessible throughout the weekdays and weekends, yet garden participants are asked to work around the schedule of the worship services at the adjacent church facility:

Westchester Korean Seventh Day Adventist Church

Saturday Bible Study 10:00 AM

Saturday Worship Service 11:30 AM

Taconic Christian Church

Sunday morning worship service 9:30 AM, followed by bible study groups

Assemblies of God

Sunday evening worship service

If you find yourself parking during a worship service or bible study, please allow the congregants to use the more favorable parking spaces, and engage in quiet gardening activities only. Many volunteers find weekday evenings are ideal for gardening on the way home from work, in the cooler evening conditions, etc.