A Jacksonville gardening group is asking for a hand from the community.
MainStreet Farms Initiative is seeking donations of gardening equipment for its youth volunteer program. The initiative is seeking tools such as shovels, pickaxes, plant pots, gloves and fencing.
MainStreet Farms Initiative is an offshoot of GRO Trust, formerly Jacksonville Park Foundation. The initiative runs a nine-week summer volunteer program for youths and young adults to help beautify properties around Jacksonville and grow food for the public and groups such as The Salvation Army.
GRO Trust operations manager Gretchen Haney said the program has been expanding in recent years. This year marks the largest group of volunteers it has seen to date, with some Illinois School for the Visually Impaired students lending a hand, she said.
“They’ll come in and we’ll teach them about plants and growing,” Haney said. “There’s a lot more to gardening than I think people realize and it’s a great way to teach children subsistence.”
MainStreet is aiming to continue bringing on volunteers, Haney said. The program has about four slots left to fill by May 8, she said. College students who complete the program will receive $1,500 to put toward their education, she said.
The initiative isn’t solely looking for gardening tools. Monetary donations are always welcome, Haney said, and the group also will accept painting supplies for a summer program during which children can create gourd art.
“There really isn’t anything that we can’t use,” she said. “We’re not a state-supported nonprofit, so it’s not like we have regular funds coming in like a United Way or anything like that, so we really rely off our community to really support us, volunteer and help.”
Donations will be accepted year-round, Haney said.
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