This document summarizes the activities of three AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates serving with Ohio Campus Compact in various food access and community garden programs around Licking County, Ohio during the summer of 2012. It describes their work helping to prepare and distribute summer lunches and produce, teach nutrition education programs, develop new community gardens, and collect and deliver food donations. For each placement, it outlines the associates' roles and responsibilities, includes photos from their work, and provides recommendations for continuing and improving the programs in the future.
2. The Salvation Army
Newark, Ohio
Helped to prepare over 500 USDA Summer
Lunches three days every week
Helped to distribute produce at the bi-weekly
“Fooderama”
Helped to prepare and serve between 75-100
hot lunches at their soup kitchen three days
every week
Began paperwork for a new summer lunch site
in Buckeye Lake, Ohio
3. Glenn, Kyra, and Lia pass out fresh produce at
July 24, 2012
“Fooderama” at the Salvation Army.
4. Steps for the Future:
Continue to distribute large amounts of
produce at Fooderama
Be cautious with produce: fresh food goes bad
quickly. If all produce is not distributed, use it
immediately in the kitchen, or find another
outlet for distribution.
5. Licking County Health Department
Newark, Ohio
Help teach the “Grow It, Try It, Like It”
curriculum in two local day cares to children
ages three-five years old
Help to purchase and prepare fresh fruits and
vegetables prior to lessons at day cares
6. Lia hands out spinach to pre-schoolers as part of the “Grow It, Try It, Like
July 18, 2012 It” program, while Glenn hands out cheese and Kyra encourages children
to try the vegetable
7. Steps for the Future:
Try harder to obtain local produce for the
“Grow It, Try It, Like It” program.
Farmers markets and the Salvation Army in
Newark are great places to start.
Local famers may also be interested in becoming
involved with the program.
8. Croton Community Garden
Croton, Ohio
Helped create a new community garden!
Hosted an ice cream social to promote the
garden
Helped to create a summer lunch program at
the Croton Community Center
Facilitated garden work with children after the
daily lunch program
Created compost bins and taught gardeners
proper composting techniques
9. Lia and Glenn take a break from weeding at the Croton Garden (all
June 18, 2012 those weeds behind them were gone shortly after this picture was
taken!)
10. June 12, 2012 Before: the bushes, weeds, and mainly nettles
taking over the left side of the fence.
12. June 8, 2012
The clean fence as viewed from outside the
garden!
13. June 8, 2012
The tools that we used to clear the weeds…
without a budget, we had to be resourceful!
14. Kyra and Nick, one of the children participating
July 9, 2012 in the summer lunch program, help weed!
15. Steps for the Short-Term
Future:
Continue to supply water to the garden.
Most importantly, the community must
become active and involved with the
garden. A garden requires daily weeding,
watering, harvest and overall maintenance.
Find a group—perhaps a church youth
group, or boyscouts—who would be willing
to dedicate time to the garden every day.
16. Steps for the Long-Term Future:
Canvas neighborhoods close to the garden to find a house
willing to let the garden use its gutter for a rain barrel.
Contact Chris Ramsey once the house has agreed
Contact the Salvation Army in Newark to begin paperwork
about a state-funded summer lunch program for summer
2013.
If you are denied, try to incorporate the garden produce into the
Summer Lunch Program for 2013.
Incorporate garden education and awareness into the
summer lunch program. Teach children how to properly weed
and water, how to identify ripe produce, etc.
Identify a person or group of people who would be interested
in building a shed and a new bed in the garden—perhaps
boyscouts looking for an Eagle Scout project?
Get in contact with the Johnstown PNB once a group has
been identified, and discuss options for funding with Ron
(PNB)
17. 6th Street and Growing Gardens
Newark, Ohio
Created and posted instructive signs detailing
proper composting techniques
Created and posted information about taking
donated produce and provided information
about local food pantries for those in need
Created a system for asking for and receiving
help through the Garden Angels program
18. Kyra and Lia highlight the increased interest in
July 24, composting at the 6th Street Garden.
2012
19. Kyra and Glenn show off the signs made for the
July 24, 2012 6th Street Garden entrances.
20. Steps for the Future:
Oversee composting. Someone needs to be in
charge of mixing and taking care of the
compost. Despite signs detailing proper
techniques, the current compost is out of
control.
21. Garden on the Square (CTEC)
Newark, Ohio
Tracked volunteer data for the CSA program
Harvested and distributed produce for CSA
members
Weighed and tracked harvested produce
Assisted with second plantings, watering, and
weeding, etc.
22. June 14, 2012
Kyra and Lia hold the first harvest of the season
at the Garden on the Square.
23. Steps for the Future:
Find someone to take over the distribution of
produce to CSA members.
Find someone to track amounts of produce
distributed to CSA members.
Poll members about what produce would be
desired for next season that wasn’t available
this year.
Inform the members next season that 5 hours
of volunteer work is absolutely required, and
enforce this rule.
24. Sharing the Harvest
Granville, Ohio
Collected donated produce, dairy products,
bread, and canned goods from the Granville
Farmer’s Market every Saturday morning
Delivered donated food to the Salvation Army,
the YES Club, and the Sparta Coffeehouse in
Newark, Ohio
25. Kyra and Glenn pose with the four volunteers from the
July 28, 2012 Sharing the Harvest Program behind the 207 pounds of
food collected
26. Steps for the Future:
Continue to distribute produce to The
Salvation Army, the YES Club, and Sparta
Connect the farmers and the organizations!
Try this by contacting S.A., YES Club, and
Sparta and getting interested volunteers to the
Granville Farmer’s Market. This way, members
of the organizations could directly interact with
the farmers who are donating their harvests.
27. EVENTS!
Fourth of July Parade- Granville, Ohio
Ice Cream Social- Croton, Ohio
Kickin’ Ash Splash Pool Party- Heath, Ohio
28. Summer Associates Kyra and Lia stand in front of the
July 4, 2012 Growing Green Together 4th of July Float with VISTA
Coral Breuer.
29. Our float won 1st Place in the Commercial
July 4, 2012
Division!
30. Kyra, Lia, and Glenn hold the sign they painted for the Croton Garden,
July 11, 2012 adorned with local children’s handprints at the beginning of the Ice
Cream Social in Croton.