GPHC Command Central: Garden-in-a-Box Giveaway
Helping Neighbors Reap What They Sow And Eat What They Grow
By Lori Midson
Executive Director, GPHC, Inc.
The month of March signifies growth, and in the five months since joining Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. as executive director, it’s been a gratifying path of progress. We’ve recruited and trained a slate of new emergency food pantry volunteers, established several collaborative relationships with neighboring businesses, significantly improved and evolved our food programs, solidified our plan to energize our building with the power of sunlight and welcomed many new members and donors.
And there’s much more on the horizon. As we eagerly stalk spring and prepare for dueling weather emblems — blooms, blizzards and beautifying our gardens — we’re gearing up for an exciting year of fundraisers and community events. The first is our Garden-in-a-Box Giveaway, an annual seed-and-plant bonanza that takes place from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 13 at our office at 2823 Fairfax St.
The Garden-in-a-Box Giveaway is a wonderful — and free — program benefitting novice gardeners and low-income individuals and families who need a little assistance jumpstarting their own plots. And it’s a program that reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from author and journalist Michael Pollan: “Ripe vegetables were magic to me. Unharvested, the garden bristled with possibility. I would quicken at the sight of a ripe tomato, sounding its redness from deep amidst the undifferentiated green. To lift a plant’s hood of heart-shaped leaves and discover a clutch of long slender pods hanging underneath could make me catch my breath.”
Pollan isn’t alone in his enthusiasm for gardens of eating. We’re already swooping on the slightest signs of the green of spring, and our Garden-in-a-Box program inspires our neighbors to sow the seeds of love in their own oases. Each kit contains seedlings and multiple vegetable, herb, fruit and flower seeds to grow a 4×4 plot, plus planting tools, plant markers and an information packet that includes a detailed gardening plan, planting instructions and tips from local garden experts.
If you or someone you know would like to register for a free Garden-in-a-Box kit, visit greaterparkhill.org/food-programs/garden-in-a-box/. Boxes are limited, so we encourage you get your requests in soon.
Like all our community initiatives, our Garden-in-a-Box Giveaway is a no-cost program. To keep it that way, we rely on in-kind donations. If you own or operate a vegetable farm, garden center, plant nursery, market or hardware store, or you’re an avid gardener who happens to hoard seeds, trowels and other gardening supplies, we would greatly appreciate it if you’d consider donating these items:
• Vegetable and herb seed packets
• Flower and wildflower seed packets that attract bees
• Vegetable seedlings
• Hand trowels
• Seedling starter pots and trays
• Small bags of outdoor potting soil
• Vegetable garden fertilizer
• Gardening gloves
Donations can be dropped off at 2823 Fairfax St. between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and between noon and 5 p.m. on Tuesdays.
Help our Greater Park Hill community reap what they sow and eat what they grow.
Stocking The Pantry
Our Greatest Emergency Food Pantry Needs Right Now
• Pasta sauce
• Ramen
• Tea
• Canned and fresh fruit (oranges and apples)
• Bags of fresh potatoes
• Bags of fresh onions
• Frozen packages of chicken thighs and drumsticks
• Frozen packages of ground beef
• White and wheat bread
• Bagels
• Cream cheese
• Bags, slices and blocks of cheese (all kinds)
• Butter sticks
• Corn and flour tortillas
• Canned cat food
• Toiletries for both men and women
We accept food and toiletry donations between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and between noon and 5 p.m. on Tuesdays. We also accept donations by appointment. If you’d like to schedule a donation outside of our office hours, please send an email to director@greaterparkhill.org, or call 303-388-0918. Out of respect for our clients, we kindly ask that you only donate items that have not expired. Thank you for your understanding.
Donors
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
Cake Crumbs Bakery and Cafe
Cure D’Ars Catholic Church
Mayfair Liquors
Park Hill Branch Library
Park Hill Congregational UCC
Park Hill United Methodist Church
Messiah Community Church
VMware Foundation
St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Starbucks E. 29th Ave. Town Center
The Blackbaud Giving Fund
Annie and David Pratt
Penny Ashley-Lawrence
Katherine Atkins
Cathy Bauchwitz
Carolyn Benoit
Barbara Berryman
Simon Blamires
Heather Blanchard and William White
Corlissa and Nathan Bolden
Jennifer Calderone
Sigrid Chase
Christine and Daniel Allen
Jenna Cruff
Dank-Colorado
Abigail Dice
Erin Donovan
Kelly Dryer
Duane and Jean Gall
Elisabeth and Raymond Fedde
Elizabeth and Kyle O’Rear
Ellen Reath and Craig Maginness
Estelle and Charles Bennett
Janet Fairs
Anne & Joe Frank
Bobbi Gillis
Ron and Janina Gotlin
Erica Gutierrez
Lisa Haddox
Simon and Elizabeth Hambidge
Amy Harris
Pam and Duke Hartman
Adrienne Hill
Heidi Hine
Jane Hoback
Ellen and John Hokanson
Katherine Jeter
Jody and Bob Smith
Brian Johnson
Elizabeth Johnson
Patricia and James Jordan
Craig Joyce
Bill Juraschek
Joycee Kennedy
Sue and Roger Kilgore
Thomas Korson
Phillip and Constance Lanphier
Mark Longman
Mary Jo Lorenz
Leslie Madsen
Matthew and Elizabeth Spohn
Richard McCanna
Kathleen McDonald
Megan and Bill McQuinn
David and Beverly Miller
Ryan Minatta
Harriet Mullaney
Nancy Connick and Diane Jankowski
Chris and Erin Nielsen
Paul Hastings, LLC
Joe Peetz
Susan and Paul Riederer
Matthew Safran
Mary Salsich
Barbara Sharp
Shelly and Stuart Scales
Jacqui Shumway and Joe Brady
Skip and Carol Spensley
Mary Jo Starmer
Christopher Stewart
Darwin and Susan Toll
Wendi Torres
Renee Williams
Guy & Susan Wroble
Al and Ann Yates
Volunteers
Noni Horwitz
Carole Robertson
Linda Lovell
Emily Clark
David Addor
Deb Rosenbaum