As the government shutdown stretches on, hundreds of volunteers and furloughed workers in Northern Virginia helped build community gardens to offset food insecurity for local families.
The gardens are situated in Alexandria, at the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture. Serving low-income and military families, the nonprofit provides free gardening space to nearly 50 families.
“We’ve got three or four farms on this property at Woodlawn Pope Lahey and a partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation where we’re taking what was once an old slave plantation and using food and agriculture to make sure that everybody has enough,” said Pam Hess, the executive director of Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture.
Thanks to Thursday’s volunteers and a grant from Tito’s Handmade Vodka, the number of families fed could double.
“It’s incredible to see how many people showed up today to not only support Arcadia food, but come here and build all these garden beds for all the veteran farmers. It’s really incredible to see,” said Remy Lloyd, representing Tito’s.
Many of the volunteers who came out were furloughed workers from the ongoing government shutdown.
One such worker was Gabby Bonilla, who felt Thursday’s service was more than a way to keep busy, but to help fight against food insecurity.
“It’s very important to have sustainable food, like food markets are very important. They provide easy access to food, easily priced. So, I just think being out here, even though I am temporarily laid off, I’m not trying to do nothing with my day,” Bonilla said.
With 50 more families expected to be fed by next spring, Hess sees more than just a community garden; she sees hope.
“That’s gonna make them healthy, make their kids wanna eat their vegetables and give them a place to come that’s a real sense of community where they get to meet their neighbors across language lines, demographics, ages, professions, income lines. This is a place where community and not just food grows,” Hess said.
The Arcadia Center provides a wide range of programs from youth farm camps to mobile markets that bring fresh food to neighborhoods in food deserts.
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