City of Blue Island Think Outside the Loop
Got a Green Thumb?
Consider volunteering in the Food Bank Garden. Food Bank Garden volunteers grow vegetables for programs serving Blue Islanders in need of food.
- Located at the California Gardens Community Garden (CG2), volunteer gardeners generously donate their time to grow popular vegetables such as tomatoes, onions and peppers. Our creative gardeners also experiment with beets, pole beans and kale.
- Volunteers are matched with one of 4 beds, each measuring 10’ x 10’.
- Volunteers attend an orientation in the spring, and during the summer and fall will need to work in their patch at least one to two times per week.
- Everyone can participate. We will have experienced garden help available and will offer brief training on topics such as: “Growing Fall Vegetables” and “Caring for Tomato Plants.”
Quick Facts about the Food Bank/Community Plots
Who can volunteer at the garden?
Families, church groups, business organizations, and individuals are all welcome to adopt a 10’ x 10’ plot to grow vegetables for neighbors in need. Anyone under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult. All volunteers must complete and sign Volunteer Application and Agreement forms.
What is the time commitment?
Volunteers will attend a garden orientation. The orientation will take place at the Food Bank Garden. At the orientation, we will match you with a 10’ x 10’ garden box, you will meet other gardeners, and we will go over plans for the season. The garden season runs from May through October. You can expect to average 2 hours per week across the season. Your busiest times will be during planting and harvesting times. In July and August, you will spend time fertilizing, weeding, watering, and keeping your garden tidy.
When can I work in the garden?
You can work in the garden at any time during the day, both weekdays and weekends. There will be a sign-in sheet for you to track your volunteer hours. Please fill this out each time you work.
What should I grow?
Gardeners are welcome to grow most any vegetable, but the Food Bank suggests you keep it simple. The plots are small – it’s often best to raise one to three different types of vegetables. Tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, potatoes, peppers, greens and carrots are usually good bets.
Should I bring my own garden tools?
Most garden volunteers like to bring their own gloves, trowels, and cultivators. We also have some supplies at the garden.
What do we do when our vegetables are ready to pick?
We currently prefer that you harvest vegetables on Thursday afternoon/evening or early Friday morning. At these times, baskets will be available to fill with the harvested vegetables. Thursday and Friday’s harvest is forwarded to Saint Benedict’s Food Pantry before 8/8:30am for distribution at 9:00am.
