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!”

Being in the community plots, the young family had the chance to get to know other gardeners and learn from them at a time when most people were indoors and craving community during the pandemic.

“It was so wonderful just to have a place to go that was outdoors, among others, but also felt safe,” Lori said.

According to the West Chicago resident, gardening is an accessible way to teach her son valuable life skills and instill values like patience, flexibility, gentleness and respect for the Earth.

“I think that if everyone took care of the earth around them, then the earth we are in contact with would be better cared for,” she reflects. “We can invest ourselves in the earth AND have delicious vegetables at the end!”

In a world of instant gratification, where groceries can be ordered without even going to the store, we have somewhat lost our connection to our food.  “Our gardeners not only get delicious fresh produce, but can rebuild their connection to the earth and their food – like Lori’s son who now eats kale and chard!” says Jeannie Iseman, The GardenWorks Project Executive Director.

Between the flourishing veggies, household savings and the lessons imparted on her son, Lori wholeheartedly recommends GardenWorks.

“It’s a wonderful experience, you save money, it’s relaxing. I’m taking care of other people, animals, plants. It makes you feel kind, reflect on yourself in a positive way.”

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.

The fresh produce harvested at The Lisle Township Community Garden would add more variety and fresher options for the 500 families that Lisle Township Food Pantry serves monthly.

By 2017, though, the garden was overgrown and neglected. Chairwoman Paula Garcia decided to take over the garden herself.

The GardenWorks Project donated cedar planks, soil and compost for eight raised beds. After clearing out four-foot-tall weeds and rototilling the soil to prepare for planting, the garden was once again ready to start producing fresh produce for the Lisle community.

“The Lisle Community Garden was one of the first projects we supported when we launched our Community Garden Grant Program,” said Jeannie Iseman, executive director of GardenWorks. “They have had a direct impact on food access by increasing the amount of fresh produce available for those who might not otherwise be able to afford it.”

Four years after this renewal, the garden harvests about 50 pounds of fresh produce three times a week for the Lisle Township Food Pantry.

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“Food access is something everyone should have a right to,” said Garcia. “We want to make sure that our community has that.”

Combined with the donated food from local grocery stores, customers can fill their fridges and pantries and feel a little less stressed about their budgets for the month.

The items grown vary from year to year. The garden originally started growing kale and swiss chard, but when many people politely declined it, they cut back and started to grow more eggplants and sweet potatoes.

This collaboration with the community ensures that people have access to foods they are familiar with, especially if they did not grow up in the United States.

For many immigrants, finding fresh produce items that meet their cultural and religious needs can be difficult. Over the years, Garcia said, they have learned what people want.

“We had someone point out the sweet potato vines and tell us they are a delicacy in her home country,” Garcia said. “We don’t throw away the persling, either, because it can be used in dips and other recipes.”

Some of the other produce items that the garden grows include:

• Swiss chard
• Kale
• Sugar snap peas
• White cucumbers
• Zucchini
• Perennial strawberry patch
• Sweet potatoes
• Hot peppers
• Jalapenos
• Green and banana peppers
• Carrots
• Tomatillos
• Basil
• Garlic
• Eggplant

A group of 14 volunteers split into two shifts a day throughout the growing season to maintain it. They water, weed, check on and even talk to the plants. Over the years, as the garden yield has gone up, more people have wanted to give back.

The Lisle Service Corps awarded the garden a grant that helped pay for the fence. The local Eagle Scout Troop visited the garden in 2021 and installed that fence. The local Girl Scout Troop has also been a frequent visitor for various volunteering opportunities.

“The community has been very involved and very helpful,” said Garcia.

Ultimately, the garden has been a huge help for the pantry to help meet the customers’ fresh produce needs, especially during the pandemic. As inflation reaches 9.2% in DuPage County, and lower-income households stretch their resources even farther, the 2022 season will be mean just as much to the customers visiting Lisle Township.

“We provide people with stability,” Biggins said. “Food is important for people to thrive.”