In 2008 Leslie Davis suggested to her mother, a Master Gardener in New Mexico, that in addition to cultivating flowers for worthy causes, she might try growing fresh produce for the community, especially since the recent recession had left so many people unemployed who were visiting overburdened food pantries. That discussion five years ago grew like a seed into a thriving bounty of volunteers who harvest thousands of pounds of produce, sometimes in a singe weekend, for people in need.
In 2008 Leslie Davis suggested to her mother, a Master Gardener in New Mexico, that in addition to cultivating flowers for worthy causes, she might try growing fresh produce for the community, especially since the recent recession had left so many people unemployed and so many food pantries overburdened.
That discussion five years ago grew like a seed into a thriving bounty of volunteers who harvest thousands of pounds of produce, sometimes in a singe weekend, for people in need.
Led by Penny Davis and dozens of Sandoval County Master Gardeners, the happy band of do-gooders labor to feed their neighbors under the non-profit banner Seed2Need. (Watch a video at the bottom)
"It was a demonstration of the power of teamwork," said Penny, who last year saw their labor of love generate a whopping 65,200 pounds of fruit and vegetables, with an estimated market value of $82,000. All of it was was donated fresh off the vine to fifteen food assistance programs in Sandoval and Bernalillo Counties.
"It's so fresh that dirt is still clinging to the tomatoes," says Leslie Davis who moved back to the state after leaving her old job. The social camaraderie and sense of helping others has sparked a passion in the younger Davis.
She recounted with pride the story of a local man who owned an orchard. Last fall he offered 80 pristine trees to Seed2Need for the picking. A group of high school students had to go back three times to finish collecting the 11,000 pounds of flawless apples. Participating food pantries were overwhelmed with apples in the first week. There were so many that the central food bank of New Mexico was called in to distribute to other regional pantries.
"Two to three hours and all of a sudden you have 4000 pounds," Leslie Davis told the Good News Network. "They had to send a huge truck."
To keep down the costs and control quality the Master Gardeners grow their own seedlings in a greenhouse that, of course, was built and assembled by volunteers. With the tending of their skilled hands, the healthy organic plants thrive.
"Little cub scouts are hidden by these bushes picking from tomato plants that are 5-and-a-half-feet tall," recalls Leslie, who has noticed over the years of volunteering, the little boys growing up, too.
Seed2Need also provides an easy drop point for residents and farmers in late summer looking to unload their excess harvest. Tons of produce were collected this way last year both at the Corrales farmers market and from individual donations.
With the ongoing drought in the Southwest, the cost of produce is likely to climb, making projects like these crucial to those facing food insecurity.
If you would like more information, or would like to help, please visit their website at www.Seed2Need.us or visit the Seed2Need Facebook page.
The power of social media was revealed on Reddit when regulars there rallied to provide aid to victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. Overnight, heroes were recognized and thousands of netizens donated to those people everything from pizzas to rooms with hot showers to free miles for airline flights. (CS Monitor)
Donors have flooded crowdfunding campaigns set up for individual victims of Monday's bombings at the Boston Marathon, raising more than $1 million in a matter of days. The campaign for newlyweds who both lost limbs has raised $518,971.
From passing out lollipops to distributing free iced tea and hugs outside the library at finals, Happiness clubs on college campuses around the country are aiming to uplift their peers throughout the academic year.
A Reddit user posted this photo taken by his friend who lives in Watertown where families were ordered yesterday to stay indoors during a manhunt for the Marathon bomber suspect. The family asked if they could go get milk for their 16 month old son. A policeman, likely working long hours already, went to the store for them and delivered the milk to the house.
Mr. Rogers offered a famous answer to the question of what to tell children when scary things happen on the news. It holds true for all of us if we want to learn about what happened in Boston yesterday: Look for the helpers. We can always focus on the actions of the helpers, if we want to feel better.
From the smoke in Boston today heartening stories arose of kindness emerging from tragedy: people on Twitter urging others to note the people who run towards the explosions, not a way from them; stories of heroism from runners...
The Harvard Business School took some time last week to show their gratitude for all the work that goes into the MBA experience. The Give Thanks project involved faculty and students being kind to the staff who works so hard every day. The school's Harbus News reported some plans to deliver more than 900 personally written thank-you notes, as well as bringing coffee and bagels to the staff break room.
The lives of two men, one a young marathon runner who had crossed the finish line two minutes before the bomb exploded, and an older man he rushed to help, have formed a bond neither man will soon forget.
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