Moraine Township Food Pantry Garden Plot Project
HIGHLAND PARK, IL (JUNE 2017) ? Calling all green thumbs! Friends for Health and the North Shore Health Center are looking for volunteers to help cultivate and harvest the 2017 Moraine Township Food Pantry Garden Plot. Volunteers are needed for weekly garden upkeep on Wednesdays 10 -11:30 a.m. and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. - noon, to tend to the plots and gather produce for use and donation all summer long.
What started in 2007 as a partnership between the Park District of Highland Park and Moraine Township to build a garden to grow fresh produce for the Moraine Township Food Pantry, has grown to some 30 plots. In 2012, the North Shore Health Center was invited to collaborate and 23 of the 30 plots were set aside for patients who wanted the opportunity to cultivate their own plot of land. Not only were these families required to maintain their plot, but they were also required to donate a part of their harvest to the Moraine Township Food Pantry.
Tucked-away at Woodridge Park (150 Barberry Rd., Highland Park), nearly 70 family volunteers have participated in the program, learning a great deal about growing their own food and experiencing new dishes. Many families have come back several years in a row because of the value they see for their health and how it allows them to have quality time together. Since its inception, this program has been a complete success, both because of the diligence of the families and the generosity of Friends For Health and community donations, which have raised the funds to cover the cost of the plants and supplies used by the families.
Friends For Health is a non-profit organization that supports preventative health services and programs at the North Shore Health Center in Downtown Highland Park. Gaby Ocampo, Health and Wellness Coordinator for the North Shore Health Center, has been organizing this project practically from its inception. ?We could not do this without the help of our many volunteers, as well as the help of master gardeners, Sandy Washburn and Linda Mihel, and other indispensable workers including Sam Piro.? says Ocampo. "What is most exciting for me is to see the families working together, having lots of fun and really seeing how their own hard work can help the health and well-being of their families in the community."
For more information on how to join in the fun of planting and cultivating the garden, please contact Gaby Ocampo at 847-984-5323 or gocampo@lakecountyil.gov.
ABOUT FRIENDS FOR HEALTH Friends for Health is a non-profit established in 2002 that supports preventative and educational programs at the North Shore Health Center. Friends for Health?s mission is to transform lives by ensuring the availability of health care and wellness to everyone in their community regardless of one?s ability to pay.
ABOUT NORTH SHORE HEALTH CENTER The Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center founded the North Shore Health Center in 2007 with generous support from Friends for Health. The health department operates seven community health centers in efforts to achieve its mission of promoting the health and well-being of all who live, work and play in Lake County.
Date and Time
Saturday Jul 22, 2017
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM CDT
Wed: 10 - 11:30 a.m. Sat: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location
Woodridge Park, 150 Barberry Rd., Highland Park, IL
Fees/Admission
FREE
Website
http://www.friendsforhealth.net/2016/03/20/moraine-township-food-pantry-garden-plot-project/
Contact Information
Gaby Ocampo at 847-984-5323
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