Open Hands Food Bank Garden

The St. Christopher’s grounds are now home to the Open Hands Food Bank Garden. In partnership with the Griffin Neighborhood Association, members of the church and wider community have planted a garden to grow food for the Thurston County Food Bank.

How Does It Work?

St. Christopher’s has offered up the land for this project of the wider community. Anyone can come lend a hand in the garden at the weekly work day, and the produce grown will be distributed through the Thurston County Food Bank.

St. Christopher’s is the satellite location of the Thurston Co. Foodbank for the Steamboat community; we’ll distribute much of the food right here in our neighborhood, and what we can’t distribute here will be taken to the downtown food bank.

How Can I Help?

Come lend a hand. Come dig in the dirt with your neighbors, weeding, watering, harvesting, and helping to feed families in need in our neighborhood. No gardening experience required.

All summer long, there’s a work day in the garden every Thursday from 5-7pm. Just show up with your gloves and a readiness to work; we’ll show you what needs to get done that day. The garden is located on the grounds of St. Christopher’s.

FAQ:

Question: What does it mean to “be involved”?
Answer: Anything you want it to. There are many ways to contribute.  Such as:

1. Send a donation to the Open Hands Garden. We can always use money for seeds, starts, garden tools, and many other supplies.

2. Come to the garden and enjoy the fellowship.  Bring your family on a sunny day.  Have a picnic.  Harvest some veggies. Pull some weeds. Just hang out in a beautiful outdoor setting at the church.  You can be all by yourself or safely with a small group while practicing the recommended social distancing.  Outdoor gardening is an activity that is allowed in Washington State when following the COVID-19 guidelines.

3. Grow some vegetables in your own garden to donate to the Food Bank. Just drop off your surplus veggies or fruit from your orchards at the church.  We’ll get them to the Food Bank.  We make regular deliveries all season long.

4. Spread the word about our Garden. Tell a friend about what St. Christopher’s is doing with our Food Bank garden. The OHG is really more about outreach then just growing vegetables.  If we organize a larger effort involving the many gardeners around the Steamboat community, we can effectively multiply the amount of food donations we make to our neighbors in need.

5. Share your gardening expertise. Even if you never visit the garden this Summer, I will send pictures to everyone on the “Friends” list.  Send me an email.  Tell me what you think.  Let me know what we are doing wrong.  I am a real novice at this and will benefit from your suggestions.

Hope to see you all at the Garden soon.