SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Teen Board of Rachel’s Table donated 640 starter plants to seven local agencies serving those in need of food in western Massachusetts.
According to a news release sent to 22News, this plant donation is part of Rachel’s Table Growing Gardens program, which is an expansion of the organization’s 14-year Gleaning program to further provide the community with direct access to healthy food. The plants are from Garden’s Dream in Enfield, Connecticut.
“So it symbolizes Rachel’s Table helping to combat food insecurity here in Springfield because we are considered a food desert, so the access to affordable and healthy foods is very limited,” said Meghan Pinter from Rachel’s Table.
The donation will help support organizations participating in the Rachel’s Table new Growing Gardens programs. The teen board helped participating organizations by helping them plant the seedlings in their gardens. They planted the starter plants at the agencies below on Wednesday:
- Christina’s House on 38 Madison Avenue
- Center for Human Development on 797 Worthington Street
The following agencies will also receive starter plants from the Rachel’s Table Teen Board:
- Highland House
- Friends of the Homeless
- Robinson Gardens
- Christina’s House on Union Street
- The Springfield Food Policy Council
Rachel’s Table will continue to support several of its 53 agencies to build gardens this summer. They will provide materials such as kits to create raised beds and gardening mentoring is also available.
Rachel’s Table is a program of the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts that helps
alleviate hunger and reduce waste of food resources in the area.
