By Soncirey Mitchell
Reader Staff
Local gardeners came together this summer to grow and donate more than 600 pounds of fresh produce to the Lake Pend Oreille School District Summer Lunch Program. The Bonner Community Food Bank, Gardens for Health Collaborative and LPOSD allied with local farmers to give out 2,063 plants to the community, which grew into 15,844 breakfasts and lunches for area students and stocked the food bank store.
“This partnership with the Lake Pend Oreille School District has been one of the most meaningful parts of our work this summer,” said BCFB Executive Director Debbie Love. “[LPOSD Nutrition Director] Bobbie Coleman and her team have gone above and beyond to support getting fresh, local produce to kids, even when it means more work for them.”
Volunteers and staff gather to celebrate the success of this year’s Lake Pend Oreille School District Summer Lunch Program. Photo by Ana Kampe
A team of volunteers at the food bank cleaned and prepared the fresh fruits and vegetables, delivering them to Coleman and her kitchen team to transform into perfect lunch-box meals. Stables that wouldn’t work for the lunches — like onions — went directly to the food bank’s store.
“Our food bank did a phenomenal job with the mechanics of this project,” said organizer and GFHC member Michele Murphree. “We have all these gardens in our community, so let’s come together and put them to work. I think people really enjoyed being on our ‘growing team’ and making a real difference in our community.”
Organizers started the year with the goal of establishing an annual program and, thanks to donations from Greentree Naturals — as well as the hard work of dozens of volunteers — the Produce Project will return next summer. In the meantime, any gardeners with extra fruits and vegetables can donate directly to the food bank (1707 Culvers Drive, in Sandpoint) to help provide nutritious, tasty meals for local families.
Love gave special thanks to the team of volunteers and staff who made the program possible and to Murphree for her leadership.
“Seeing our community come together — from farmers like Robyn [Roberts of Flowers from the Heart] donating flowers to families growing food to share — has been nothing less than inspiring,” said Love. “It is important to keep our youth fed throughout the summer. We’re proud to be part of something that feeds both bodies and hearts.”
For more information on how to donate or volunteer, visit bonnerfoodbank.org.
Comments are closed.