The Chilliwack Salvation Army is inviting people to "plant a row" for the food bank as they prepare their vegetable gardens this spring.
The kickoff and info session for the annual Plant A Row For Us food-security program is happening on March 11 at the Salvation Army Church.
How it works is residents volunteer to plant a row (or more) of extra produce in their own garden and then donate it to those in need via the food bank.
"(We) will talk about the "why" of the Plant A Row For Us program: providing fresh healthy produce to our Pantry program so that we have a steady supply of nutritious food for the roughly 4,500 households that are fed through the program every month (200-300 visitors daily)," said Josh Draheim with the Salvation Army.
The event will feature free seeds for all attendees – as many as they can carry, Draheim added – plus gardening prizes, and a Q&A with gardening guru Brian Minter, and Dan Oostenbrink of Local Harvest Market.
If not for people growing fresh produce and donating it to the food bank, the alternative would be putting limits on how much people can take, or closing The Pantry early, which is something they face daily in the winter, Draheim said.
"This is especially difficult because it has tangible consequences for the people we are serving, as they rely on The Pantry to help put healthy meals on the table for their family."
The kickoff event for Plant A Row For Us is on Tuesday, March 11 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Salvation Army Church (46420 Brooks Ave.).
Registration is encouraged at this link: https://forms.gle/ZbZTp16yjqG1mPsNA
