A Progress Update on the “Community Food Collaborative”
You may recall reading last October 16th that the Rotary Clubs of Sturbridge and Southbridge had applied to create a Rotary Community Corps of Sturbridge & Southbridge (RCC). In November, the RCC Charter was issued. The RCC’s first project is the creation of the “Community Food Collaborative” (CFC) located in Sturbridge.
The Mission Statement of the Community Food Collaborative is to help foster a greater sense of community by involving neighbors, volunteer organizations, as well as mentoring local youth. Throughout each growing season, nutritious organic vegetables will be grown and donated to the Saint John Paul II Food Pantry, which serves families in need in both Southbridge and Sturbridge.
After researching and visiting four available sites for the garden, a site was chosen. The garden plot is owned by the Sturbridge Federated Church, that gave permission for the RCC to use it for this purpose. Several years ago, it had been a garden for the members of the Church. The garden already as a fence, raised beds, and a tool shed. Rotarians cleared the weeds last fall and after further prep work and some repairs, planting will begin this spring.
The RCC currently has several partners for the garden project but we’d love to have more partners help us, as well as many volunteers. We are encouraging local companies, organizations, schools, seniors, social groups and community volunteers to join in this effort.
We invite you to visit the Community Food Collaborative Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/cfcgardens/ to learn more about the project and see photos as the project continues. While we are seeking volunteers, we also offer alternatives if one is not physically able to help in the garden. They can still help by donating funds and/or new or used garden tools. There’s also a form on the Facebook page for donations of funds or tools.
We are striving to make the Community Food Collaborative a great community project focused on local hunger relief by growing fresh, organic vegetables. Volunteers of all ages working together, getting to know each other, having fun and feeling good about what we’re doing to help, is what this project is all about.