If local gardeners have excess produce this season, several area programs can put it to good use.
Fort Wayne’s Community Harvest Food Bank, Associated Churches’ neighborhood food bank network, and St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen and the Ave Maria House daytime shelter for the homeless all will accept fresh fruits and vegetables.
Claudia Johnson, spokeswoman for Community Harvest, says the agency’s Farm Wagon program takes the donated fresh fruits and vegetables into rural and urban communities where residents have few resources to obtain them otherwise.
Last year’s donors included several individual gardeners, farmers, 4-H members, and the community gardening project at Salomon Farm Park on West Dupont Road. Salomon Farm is participating again this year, she says.
Dottie Carpenter, founder of the Ave Maria House at 432 Madison St., Fort Wayne, says donated produce will find its way into soup provided at St. Mary’s across the street or in occasional meals she prepares for those who visit the shelter.
The Ave Maria House also has its own vegetable garden on its grounds, Carpenter says.
John Lassen, Associated Churches’ food warehouse manager, says that agency has cooler space where fresh produce can be stored until distribution.
Gardeners can bring produce to the agency’s office at 602 E. Wayne St. during business hours.
Community Harvest, which serves nine counties in northern Indiana and individuals from Ohio and Michigan from 999 E. Tillman Road, is also registered with www.ampleharvest.org, a website that links growers with local food banks, Johnson says.
Forest Park United Methodist Church, 2100 Kentucky Ave., and Haven Missionary, 845 W. Creighton Ave., are also registered.
Also listed are Shelter Ministries Food and Clothing Bank, 315 E. Seventh St., Auburn; Bread of Life Food Pantry, 201 S. Van Buren St., Monroe; God’s Highway to Heaven Church, 555 Webber St., Warsaw; Syracuse Food Pantry, 203 E. Main St., Syracuse; Church of Christ, 206 W. Huntington St., Montpelier; and Life and Family Services BABE Store, 201 S. Park Ave., and Friendship Food Pantry, 1406 Fairview Run, both in Kendallville.
