If you’re an avid gardener – or among the many who have taken it up during the COVID-19 pandemic – the Plant a Row – Grow a Row program welcomes your support in providing healthy produce to folks in need.
The program’s volunteers collect donations of fresh produce, either homegrown, or store-bought, which they then deliver to the Union Gospel Mission. This year’s collections are set to begin on Sunday, June 21, and will run every Sunday until Sept. 27.
Claude LeDoux, who has coordinated the New West program since it began 21 years ago, has been tackling “COVID projects” around his home – including a lot of gardening projects. His gardening efforts have already resulted in two loads of veggies being dropped off at the Union Gospel Mission – with much more to come.
“We always do the Union Gospel Mission,” he said of produce used by the UGM food that’s cooked at the mission or distributed to community members. “Through that connection, we send it out to different homes as well. They could be women’s shelters, some families.”
LeDoux, who has coordinated the New West program for many years, is confident the produce ends up in the hands – and mouths – of people who need and appreciate it.
“New West is our main focus, but sometimes it goes further afield if they don’t need it at that moment,” he told the Record. “It works really well. I feel comfortable that things are being properly used and distributed. Our focus has always been New West families, and especially children.”
Some folks have specific containers or gardens where they grow vegetables but LeDoux, the city’s retired manager of horticulture services, likes to mix in vegetables with perennials in his home’s many gardens.
“Wherever I find an opening or when I decide to move a plant out, I may put veggies in there,” he said. “I call it urban agriculture because you’ve got a little bit of everything.”
LeDoux said many folks have been gardening more and started growing more food in recent months.
“In advance of our usual June collection we have already had three pickups,” he noted. “We put our email out to contact people and say, ‘hey, if you have anything, just get in touch with us.’”
While tending to the gardens on the boulevard of his West End home, LeDoux often chats about the Plant a Row – Grow a Row program with passersby.
“I have signed up probably half-a-dozen people for Plant a Row – Grow a Row that way. I’m recruiting while gardening,” he laughed. “It’s so neat. They all want to know about it and how they do it. They are so impressed with what is going on. I explain the importance of what we are doing – that really draws them in. They understand.”
Anyone with extra produce – either homegrown or store-bought, is welcome to drop it off at the Plant a Row – Grow a Row collections that are starting this month. Donations can be dropped off on Sunday morning from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. at the front entrance to St. Thomas More Collegiate, 7450 12th Ave. (just across the border in Burnaby.)
“Our friendly volunteers will collect and weigh your donations. Your donations will help those in need,” said a notice about the program. “Stop by for a garden chat with our volunteers.”
