Plant a Row Lehigh Valley is now fully operational and accepting donations for its second annual campaign. The program aims to help home gardeners donate fruits, vegetables and herbs to food-insecure families and individuals in Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown and surrounding areas.
The latest data available from Second Harvest Food Bank shows that some 69,000 people in the Valley will need food assistance this year to avoid going hungry.
Plant a Row Lehigh Valley asks home gardeners to set aside one row of their gardens to donate to these food-insecure individuals and families, and it also accepts any overflow produce.
Already this year, more than 250 backyard gardeners have signed up to lend a hand in feeding their neighbors in need.
This year, Plant a Row LV is operating 13 dropoff points for gardeners located throughout the Valley, including in Easton, Nazareth, Emmaus, Allentown, Bethlehem, Hellertown, New Tripoli, Coopersburg and Macungie.
Volunteers with the program will transport donated produce that has been dropped at the collection points to food pantries and meal centers in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. Each of the 13 dropoff points is now open and accepting donations at various times during the week. The full list of operating times can be viewed online at plantarowlv.org.
The program has been warmly received by food pantries, which are more frequently seeking healthy donations for those in need.
“The influx of fresh foods this summer quickly became a client favorite, and was often asked for first during food basket distribution. I can’t tell you how grateful and thankful we are for your partnership,” Kate Cohen, Director of Development and Communications at New Bethany Ministries, said of the effort after last year’s season concluded.
Gardeners throughout the Lehigh Valley donated 1.5 tons of produce through the Plant a Row program last year, and the program aims for 2.5 tons of donations to be grown this year.
Plant a Row Lehigh Valley is the local campaign of the national Plant a Row program, sponsored by Garden Writers Association. Since 1995, more than 20 million pounds of produce providing more than 80 million meals have been donated by American gardeners through this program.
Anyone who is interested in participating in this year’s campaign should register on the Plant a Row Lehigh Valley’s website, plantarowlv.org. Registering is important, because it allows participants to receive detailed updates about donation dropoff locations throughout the season. The full list of donation dropoff locations, including days and times of operation, is online as well. Anyone with questions or comments can contact Plant a Row Lehigh Valley at info@plantarowlv.org.
Note: The information in this story is from a contributed news release from Plant a Row Lehigh Valley.