Boardman church cultivates help for community during tough times

By Denise Dick

A community block party is planned for Sunday at Good Hope Lutheran Church.

BOARDMAN — Growing your own vegetables is one way to cut costs in tough economic times, but if you don’t have a yard, your options are limited.

Good Hope Lutheran Church wants to help.

The church on Homestead Drive has eight 10-foot-by-10-foot plots on its property available for community gardens. The church wants to offer them to families or individuals who may not be able to garden at home, such as people who live in apartments.

“We were looking for a way to do something for the community,” said Susan Wessner, associate in ministry at the church.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, the church will have its seventh block party for the community. Games and food will be available for children and adults.

The community garden is a new offering this year.

Each family who participates in the garden must agree to care for their own section. The church will provide the plants.

“We’ll have zucchinis and cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon, musk melon,” said Janet Evans, a church member.

She also will help the novice gardeners with proper planting and instructions for care.

“I’m not a professional gardener, but I have four gardens in my backyard and I do canning,” Evans said.

Both Wessner and Evans said gardening promotes healthful eating as well as saving money.

When getting food from a food bank, Wessner said, if you don’t have a lot of refrigerator space, your options are fairly limited to items such as macaroni and other dry goods.

Having a garden to grow fruits and vegetables expands the healthful offerings, she said.

“Gardening is great for kids,” Evans said. “If they plant something, care for it and watch it grow, they’ll eat it.”

Her children, for example, didn’t want to eat beets until they planted them in the garden, harvesting the fruit.

If not all of the plots are used, the church may plant certain sections with certain fruits or vegetables and open it to people who want to pick them.

People interested in using one of the plots for a garden may call the church at (330) 782-8109.

denise_dick@vindy.com