The Organic Garden Initiative

LCCC SIFE has partnered with Serve Elyria a Garden to help low income families by offering portable gardens to alleviate hunger in our city.

Our project - Digging Out of Hunger will build off of the Organic Garden Initiative and continue to provide events throughout the summer to help Elyria families reduce food insecurity.

Second Harvest reports that 1 in 4 children under the age of 5 live on the brink of hunger in Ohio according to a new report by Feeding America. Learn more

Child Food Insecurity: "more than 12 million children under the age of eighteen in the United States are food insecure and are unable to consistently access adequate amounts of nutritious food necessary for a healthy life. More than three million children under the age of 5 are food insecure." posted on Second Harvest website.

With tight budgets and low incomes, fresh produce is usually the first item cut from the shopping list, in favor of low cost, low nutrient foods. As a result, children raised in these conditions are at risk for poor health and increased rates of illness.

The following organizations have joined forces; Church of the Open Door, Lorain County Community College Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), Cascade / Furnace Neighborhood Block Watch, Filtrexx International to alleviate hunger in our county.

These organizations are coming together to provide low income families with a garden of their own. On Pride Day, 2010 300 Families will receive a 16 square foot portable Soxx garden with plants for $20.00.

Soxx gardens are portable mesh tubes filled with compost. Families need only to plant and water. Families will also receive a pair of gardening gloves, a watering can and scissors to help maintain their gardens. All participants will receive a cookbook that contains recipes for meals made from garden fresh produce.

Each garden will be delivering to recipients on May 15, 2010. Church of the Open Door and SIFE volunteers will provide onsite training on how to plant and maintain their gardens.

We are still in need of donations to cover the cost of the watering cans, gloves, scissors and vegetable plant plugs for 150 to 300 gardens.

If you or your organization would like to get involved contact the SIFE Team.

Help us not only provide low cost fresh garden produce to Lorain County families but also give children a chance to experience gardening and learn where food comes from and how plants grow.

Help us make 2010 a bountiful year!

For more information please contact Kathy Krueck, the LCCC SIFE Digging Out of Hunger Project Manger at gardeninitiative@lcccsife.com