Fresh fruits and vegetables are starting to grow in the Tzedakah Garden, which is a cooperative effort between Jewish Family Service and Mayerson JCC. Volunteers are needed to help with planning, sowing seeds, tending, harvesting and delivering the fruits of their labor to Jewish Family Service Food Pantry located in Golf Manor Synagogue.

"This project has been a labor of love and a joy from the beginning," says Barbie Sterne, community volunteer and head of the Tzedakah Garden committee. "Once we connected with Diamond Oaks Horticulture teacher Jim Hansel, we knew we were off to a great start. He and his students agreed to plant our seedlings for us in their greenhouse. We have five planter containers already in bloom and expect to have harvest for Jewish Family Service Food Pantry starting in July."

The idea for a community garden is very timely. The benefits of producing and procuring food locally have been popularized with Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) and the City of Cincinnati’s Urban Gardening Pilot Program. There are savings in transportation costs and minimizing pollution with the utilization of local resources when a community grows its food locally.

And it involves all ages. Denise Schnur, director of the Early Childhood School at Mayerson JCC, has involved preschool children by having them tend to the planters.

Fran Gafvert, Director of Vital Services at Jewish Family Service has seen the need for the community garden since the early days of the pantry. "I remember one summer several years ago, a volunteer brought in asparagus from her garden. The clients were so touched by the gift of homegrown vegetables. It really enhanced what we had to offer at the pantry that day," she says.

The Tzedakah Garden was started with seed money from Louise and Alan Wolfe. "Louise wanted to help the clients nutritionally in some way," Gafvert recalls. "After brainstorming some ideas, I realized that the Wolfes could help us start a garden. It’s a gift to the clients and to the volunteers."

All help and support of the Tzedakah Garden is appreciated. Please contact Sandee Golden at Jewish Family Service for more information, (513) 766-3352 or sgolden@jfscinti.org