The St. John’s UMC Mission Garden began when our congregation asked itself a simple question: How can we make a difference in our community, using the resources we have? We felt a call to use our land (the site of the former Burns Nursery at 7372 Marine Road in Edwardsville) to help others, and to witness visibly to the love of God for the hungry and needy among us. In its inaugural year of 2012, our Mission Garden yielded over 16,000 vegetables-approximately 8 1/2 tons! This included tomatoes, squash, peppers, kale, cucumbers, zucchini, collards, and much more!
Every year from May through November, our produce is all GIVEN AWAY to food pantries and soup kitchens in our area, providing fresh healthy vegetables to those whose budgets are stretched and whose diets may rely heavily on canned goods and starchy, low-protein foods. We rely on volunteers for planting, weeding, occasional watering... more weeding... picking, extra weeding, and delivering vegetables to pantries. The need is great, and we are making a difference, but we CANNOT DO THIS without your help!
What to know in order to volunteer:
Participation: Volunteers of all ages and abilities are needed for volunteering in the Mission Garden. When you arrive, please check-in with the garden leader to see what needs to be done.
Tools: Please bring your own tools if you have them. Garden leaders will clean St. John’s tools after each group.
Gloves: Wear appropriate outdoor gloves to protect your hands.
Restrooms: Garden leaders can open the church for workers who need to use the restroom.
Safety: For the health and safety of everyone, please do not come to the garden if you are ill.