We’re spotlighting our
Back-Farms program with Green Urban Lunchbox, which is a program where we pair
up volunteers with low income senior citizens that have the room for a garden.
Volunteers learn new gardening techniques every week as well as getting to take
home a third of the harvest! In all of the programs with Green Urban Lunchbox,
the remaining harvest is taken to food banks around the city.
The program had 30
volunteers that rendered a collective 90 hours of service this past June. 16
gardens were maintained, and from those gardens, 200 pounds of cherries were
donated to Meals on Wheels, and 400 apricots were harvested and donated! Program
Director Courtney Dean reflected on the service:
“In June we harvested
pounds and pounds of cherries. Most of the grade A fruit went to Meals on
Wheels who delivers meals to seniors all around our city. The seniors were more
than ecstatic about receiving the fresh fruit! The Green Urban Lunchbox was
featured in the Salt Lake Tribune for making a contribution to senior's lives
by simple providing fresh fruit for their enjoyment. Many of whom had not had
fresh fruit, especially cherries in quite some time. Providing something as
simple as fruit, which I buy weekly for myself, to someone who doesn't have the
financial privilege to buy such things is an amazing feeling. People simply
don't have access to health food, even if they wanted to live a healthier life
style it cannot always be incorporated into their daily lives. Seniors have a
set budget without much room for wiggle, providing them with something that is
a standard for living should be a goal of every community.”
