August 24, 2024

By Linda Mason
Volunteer at The Gardens at Unity Village
Extension Master Gardener with Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City

Hunger affects every community, including our own.

According to the 2023 Missouri Hunger Atlas, a project by the University of Missouri Interdisciplinary Center for Food Security and Center for Health Policy, 14.2% of Missourians—equal to 865,400 people—are food insecure.

That’s roughly one in seven people.

Share the Bounty
How better to embody The Gardens at Unity Village’s mission of community stewardship than by sharing our garden’s harvest with individuals and families in need?

Fifteen years ago, the founders of The Gardens at Unity Village, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, envisioned a community growing healthy food and sustaining a prosperous, green model for generations to come. Central to this vision was fostering connections and stewardship within the community.

Over the years, The Gardens at Unity Village has consistently donated a portion of our fruits and vegetables to local food pantries. Last fall, our orchard produced an abundance of apples and Asian pears, significantly boosting our donation totals. In 2023, we proudly donated over 5,000 pounds of produce to local food pantries through the After the Harvest organization.

This summer, we continue this tradition by regularly providing fresh garden produce—including tomatoes, peppers, carrots, beets, eggplants, okra, and greens—to local community food pantries. Just this week, we delivered produce to Lee’s Summit Social Services to supplement their food pantry. At the pantry, our fruits and vegetables are distributed alongside fresh bread and non-perishable items to the 200+ participants who shop each week.

Tim Salerno, Special Service Coordinator for Lee’s Summit Social Services, shared that the limited amount of fresh produce they receive is highly popular and usually gone by the end of the day. In addition to saving money on groceries, many participants are introduced to new varieties of vegetables. “We often provide recipes or offer ideas on how to cook less familiar items like eggplant or okra,” Tim added.

Community Stewardship in Action
The Gardens at Unity Village is proud to be part of a network dedicated to getting fresh, nutritious, locally grown food to those who need it most.

Gratitude
To Our Garden Family: We are a volunteer-powered organization. Each week, approximately 20 volunteers contribute 225-250 hours to grow our garden and orchard, maintain the land and structures, operate our weekly Produce Market, and support our three cultivated acres. As Mark Martin, our Board President and Garden Operations Manager, says, “We are blessed to have such a dedicated and charitable group of volunteers. We thank Unity for the land and its barn.”

To Our Community: We are deeply grateful for our community’s network of partner organizations, including religious groups, community gardens, service organizations, food banks, and food pantries. Your donations of time, energy, and talents are invaluable to our mission!

The organizations include, but are not limited to:
• Unity Village
• Fillmore Cafe
• After the Harvest
• David Earls
• Lee’s Summit Social Services
• Giving Groves/Kansas City Community Gardens
• Community Partner Gardens/Kansas City Community Gardens
• The Rotary Club of Lee’s Summit and Rotary District 6040
• The Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City

To Our Donors: No matter the size or frequency of your donation, we greatly appreciate your financial support. Your contributions help sustain our efforts.

How to Donate:
To support Lee’s Summit Social Services, donations can be made through their website at https://www.lssocialservices.com.

To support The Gardens at Unity Village, donations can be made at the Market Stand on open Saturdays between 8 a.m. and noon, or by mailing checks to: The Gardens at Unity Village, 150B NW Colbern Rd., Lee’s Summit, MO 64086.

Reference: University of Missouri Interdisciplinary Center for Food Security and Center for Health Policy. Missouri Hunger Atlas. 2023, University of Missouri.