The GardenWorks Project defines a community garden as any place where people garden in a group setting – schools, neighborhoods, businesses. We wish to provide community gardeners with inspiration, education, and support so that you can start your gardens and maximize your harvests.
Explore Community Gardens' Impacts
Experiencing the World in Wheaton
It’s called the “World Community Garden”. And, the name might surprise you for being located in Wheaton. But, it fits. This community garden at the Marian Park Mercy Housing site is home to 14 gardeners from 7 countries, speaking 7 native languages and growing varieties not often found in your typical grocery store.
The GardenWorks Project began a partnership with the Marian Park community in 2017 with the installation of a 5 bed system intended to serve low income and elderly residents desiring to grow their own produce and, according to Resident Service Coordinator, Bethany Atchison, “empower and nourish bodies and souls.” “Our community has a large population of refugee families that have moved often during their first years here in the United States. It is a permanent residence with the opportunity to garden, which is often the first time since they have been at home. Gardening gives them something familiar in a very foreign country.” The program has since grown, expanding the site to 14 beds at two locations on the Mercy Housing-owned campus.
Each GardenWorks Project garden site is assigned a volunteer lead to guide the gardeners through the process and support them throughout their growing journey. After several years coaching individual families, Lisa was thrilled for the opportunity to become a lead at Marian Park’s community gardens. As the spring season began, so did her relationship with the garden residents. “One of my favorite ways to get to know someone is to ask them what they like to grow and what they like to eat. The stories the residents shared about some of their favorite vegetables and how they like to prepare and eat them were full of wisdom.” A gardener from Africa taught Lisa and the other gardeners that a plant thought to be a weed was actually African spinach, a prized delicacy in her culture, and were planted with purpose, as were sweet potato vines and their edible leaves... read more at:
Gardens grow life skills and healthy habits
Lori connected with The GardenWorks Project in the fall of 2020. She had heard about the organization and its gardening program through the Birth to Three Program in West Chicago, and decided to submit an application.
At first, Lori’s family was approved for a GardenWorks Project balcony box, but they were excited to learn that, without access to land, her family was eligible to receive a space at a GardenWorks community plot near her home.
Even while processing changes, the process felt seamless for Lori.. “GardenWorks was really flexible, accessible, and easy to work with.”
It wasn’t until last summer, though, that Lori and her now two-and-a-half-year-old son enjoyed a full season of watching plants grow. He delighted in helping his mom take care of it, too.
“In a little two-year-old way, he takes his watering very seriously,” Lori said. “Something about him picking the tomatoes himself makes introducing vegetables easier, having him more willing to eat vegetables because he’s participating in it.”
He even eats Swiss chard and kale – with cheese, of course – in his scrambled eggs.
Before they grew it, they had never tried chard before. It was not something Lori even considered buying at the grocery store in case he did not like it.
“I’m not going to potentially waste money on something he’s not going to like or eat,” she said. “Because we watched it grow throughout the summer, he sampled it willingly and we both like it!”.. read more at:
Growing Generously in Lisle
During the 2021 growing season, Lisle Township Community Garden harvested and donated 1,100 pounds of fresh produce to The Lisle Township Food Pantry.
Founded in 2012 by caring community members, the garden was planted to supplement the fresh produce offered at Lisle Township Food Pantry right next door. Community members accessing the pantry for grocery assistance wanted more produce, but it did not have enough to offer regularly.
“Fresh produce is the number one thing people want,” said Charles Biggins, food pantry director. “Customers are looking for plant-based diets to fight health issues.”
According to a groundbreaking study by United Way, more than one-third of households in DuPage County do not earn enough to afford their most basic needs, forcing them to make difficult decisions.
With such tight budgets, it can be difficult to afford higher-quality and specialty grocery items to help some people manage diet-related diseases or just maintain their preferred diets... read more at:
Support Your Community Garden
Community Garden Supplies
Each community garden project has receive the following:
- 4 handmade, 4’ x 8’ x 8” cedar raised-bed frames along with soil and compost
- 20 free seed packets
- Discounted seedlings at our Spring Seedling Sale (May 16th, West Chicago)
- 20% off additional raised-bed garden frames available for sale at our Resource Center
- Free attendance to all GardenWorks Project educational offerings
If you are already a community gardener and want to get more engaged in the greater community network, join our Facebook page, Grow DuPage Community Garden Network today.
Community Gardening
Starting 2017, The GardenWorks Project began supporting community gardeners with their local projects, offering resources and materials to support their vision. Since 2017, The GardenWorks Project has supported the following organizations:
garden grant Partners
Alphabetical Order
- Christ the Servant Church (Woodridge)
- Compass Church (Bolingbrook)
- College of DuPage (Glen Ellyn)
- Elmhurst College (Elmhurst)
- Gary Memorial United Methodist Church (Wheaton)
- Horizon Elementary School (District U-46) (Hanover Park)
- Madison Elementary School (Lombard)
- Mercy Housing (Wheaton)
- Park View Elementary School-Lombard (Lombard)
- Whittier Elementary School (Downers Grove)
- Winfield Community United Methodist (Winfield)
The GardenWorks Project partners with 40 area food pantries and social service organizations to identify clients who are both in need of food assistance and want to grow their own food. We are proud to partner with the following organizations:
pantry Partners
Sorted by Location
Addison Township
Aurora
Bloomingdale
Carol Stream
Elmhurst
Glendale Heights
Lombard
Wheaton
Community Garden Resources
Donate Produce for Pantries
According to the 2015 U.S. Census Bureau, 42.2 million Americans are living in food insecure households, including 13.1 million children. Food pantry clients are at the highest risk for inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables, as the non-perishable foods that fill the shelves do not provide the nutrients of fresh produce. In order to improve food access in our community, The GardenWorks Project emphatically encourages home and community gardeners to donate excess harvest to food pantries.
There are approximately 42 million home and community gardeners in the U.S., with estimates of 11.47 billion pounds of excess produce annually. Based on estimates that individuals should consume 415 pounds of vegetables per year, the excess produce that can be donated by gardeners could potentially provide vegetables for over 27.5 million people. Home gardeners in DuPage County can make a difference by expanding their gardens for the purpose of donating their extra produce to a local food pantry.
Increasing yields is simple with the resources provided by the GardenWorks Project Food Growers Network. We offer our members access to gardening tools, seeds, books, and discounts on seedlings and raised bed garden frames.
When you find yourself with extra produce throughout the year, consider donating to your local food pantry. Your produce can inspire more growers and provide healthy food for the 74,000 food insecure in DuPage County. Any amount of produce is helpful and needed.
Related reading: Ahmed, Selena and Byker Shanks, Carmen. Stop Wasting Food: Ending Hunger by Donating Excess Garden Produce. Ampleharvest.org
Harvesting
- The best time to harvest is in the morning before veggies heat up too much.
- For leafy greens, pull off damaged or yellowed leaves at harvest. Submerge them in cool water to remove heat shortly after harvest to prevent wilting.
- If harvesting more than 12 hours before you plan to make a delivery, see chilling storage tips below.
- Not all produce should be washed after harvest, see the guide below.
- Rule of thumb for produce quality: donate produce that you would eat. Some holes and light damage is okay; no bugs.
Preparing
- Wash (if needed) and refrigerate: All greens, bok choi, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, leeks, carrots, beets, turnips, radishes, parsnips, beans, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, squash
- Wash but don’t chill: Potatoes, sweet potatoes (dry thoroughly and store in dark, dry place)
- Don’t wash, do refrigerate: Peas, corn, okra
- Don’t wash or refrigerate: Tomatoes, garlic, onions
Transporting
- Contact the pantry in your area to ask the days/hours that they accept donations.
- If possible, bundle produce into 1 pound bags or rubber band in 1 pound bunches. Loose produce is welcome at most places as well, call first to check.
- Please deliver produce in a clean bin, most pantries will have a bin to transfer it into upon arrival.
- Send us an email at info@gardenworksproject.org and let us know what you donated, and to what pantry. It helps us to have an idea of how much produce gets donated from folks in the GardenWorks Food Growers Network.
- Ask to volunteer at the pantry if you’d like!
Check out our more comprehensive Resource Guide on Harvesting and Donating Produce!
Other Community Garden Grants & Education
The community gardening movement continues to grow, and The GardenWorks Project would like all groups in our region to be well-equipped with all they need to succeed. Below is a list of other grants and educational sites that support the community gardening effort nation-wide:
- SeedMoney
- Ioby
- Project Orange Thumb
- Home Depot Community Impact Grants
- Captain Planet Foudation
- Carton 2 Garden Contest
- Youth Garden Grant
- Farm to School Grant
- Annie’s Grants for Gardens
- Scott’s Miracle Grow GRO1000 Grant
- The Kitchen Community’s Learning Garden
- Lowe’s Toolbox for Education
- Seeds of Change Grant
- Whole Kids Extended Learning Garden Grant
- Whole Kids School Gardens Grant
- Green Thumb Challenge Grant
- USDA Farm to School Grant Program
- Katie’s Krops
- Jamba Juice Garden Grant Program
- Yard Care Life- Gardening with Kids
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
The GardenWorks Project is just one of many area organizations involved in the fight to end hunger and/or support the sustainable food movement.
Information about Obtaining Seeds and Plants with SNAP
Community Hunger Network – A network of emergency food providers working to provide quality food and nutrition to those in need. Includes a list of all food pantries in DuPage County.
DuPage County Community Gardens – A comprehensive list of community gardens in DuPage County.
Gardening Resource for Kids – Want to get your children more involved in gardening? Check out our resource on how to get your children excited about getting out to the garden!
