Barrie Swift is about to taste the support his family has received from Village of Hope Niagara . “I’ve got three-and-a-half-foot potato plants growing in my garden, along with tomato plants and peppers and beans and corn,” said the Beamsville resident, who began using the Jordan food bank and thrift store two years ago. Swift is on a disability pension, with limited ability to purchase fresh produce for his family, but thanks to Village of Hope Niagara’s home garden program, he will enjoy his first crop of potatoes shortly and homegrown tomatoes in a few weeks.
“Everything is coming into full bloom,” said Swift, who added he learned about the garden program from Cheryl Keddy Scott, Village of Hope Niagara’s chief executive officer, about a month ago and was given a tray of seedlings to plant. “It creates self sustainability,” Swift said. “When you can grow your own stuff, you don’t have to worry about going to the grocery store.
” Keddy Scott said more than 60 of the 468 households helped each month are now growing their own food. Joe McCarthy, operations manager at Village of Hope Niagara, says this year’s Garden of Hope was planted in May and June. “It’s a small cost to us, but it’s so beneficial to the people in the community,” said Keddy Scott, who noted Village of Hope Niagara provides plants, soil and growing tips.
“It’s great to see when clients come in and they pick up a flat of mixed vegetables to take home and plant in their own.