AMEN Gardens Provides Produce To Those in Need

A group of local gardeners are making a difference in the community by growing extra fruits and vegetables to share with people in need. Two years ago, Bill Voshalike added some additional rows of onions to his garden and realized these new crops only required a little more work.

This is where he got the idea to begin AMEN Gardens. Voshalike said, “The vision was to share the concept with other gardeners and plan for and deliver sufficient quantities of selected fresh seasonal vegetables to the 100+ patrons that visit AMEN weekly.”

Today, Voshalike is not alone. Multiple gardeners in Fayette County now grow extra food to provide for people in need. When asked what this means for AMEN Food Pantry, Vice President Susan Schultz said, “It has opened a whole new world to our clients. They look forward to coming around the corner and seeing what is being offered each week.”

This experience is new for some clients because of the high cost of these items. “They never had the opportunity to eat fresh vegetables until the generosity of our local gardeners,” said Schultz.

Some members ofAMEN Gardens have devoted more than their gardening skills to serving the food pantry. Bill Voshalike and Robyn Hass have designed a new website for both the pantry and the garden group. Anyone can sign up to join AMEN Gardens on the website. Voshalike said all gardeners, from novice to expert, are welcome. The website also contains recipes for preparing the fresh vegetables provided each week. It is a resource for volunteers as well as clients.

According to Schultz, the number of clients at the food pantry has continually increased over the years. There is a need for food, especially fresh produce. Many pantries have to rely solely on processed foods, but in Fayette County, clients have a choice. A selection of fresh fruits and vegetables is available to them every Monday because of the generosity of some local gardeners.

If you are interested in joining AMEN gardens, you can find more information at amenlagrange.org.