Building Community is integral to our mission at TLCD and volunteerism is a key value for our team. On a recent Friday, we had the opportunity to spend an afternoon at Food For Thought Food Bank in Forestville helping with garden maintenance and fruit picking.
If you’re not familiar with Food For Thought, it’s a nonprofit organization dedicated to meeting the nutrition needs of people living with serious medical conditions in Sonoma County. They provide free weekly groceries, including fresh produce, nutritional supplements, vitamins and whatever other goodies are on hand, along with frozen meals. Their services also include nutrition counseling and an organic gardening project.
After getting a tour of their gardens, the TLCD team divided into teams with one group harvesting cherries and the other group clearing the pathways in the upper garden.
There’s something really satisfying about working in the garden on a warm summer day. We truly enjoyed the team building and funny conversations while on hands and knees in the the dirt… and of course the opportunity to give back. The kids had a great time finding lady bugs, pill bugs and earthworms. The cherry picking team were harvesting the first of the season’s fruit which will be offered at the Food Bank.
Food For Thought is always looking for volunteers to help in the garden, with deliveries, food drives or in the food bank, so be sure to reach out!