SAN DIEGO — Imagine owning a gigantic garden during these troubling times and saying we want to share. In this Zevely Zone I visited the non-profit Second Chance at their Urban Garden in Encanto.
"We got some broccoli greens, some green onions. These are tangelos and lemons," said Kristin Kvernland, the Urban Garden program manager. Kristin hand picked a beautiful arrangement of produce and was washing the items in a sink. Second Chance wants to deliver free boxes filled with produce to families in need.
Sylvia DuBeau from Second Chance told me the coronavirus has shut down their program that's usually helping at-risk children and for that reason they want their large garden to help the community in need.
"Because it is the right thing to do. I think everybody right now is really uncertain," said DuBeau, "Second chance is in the business of helping people vulnerable and struggling even when times are good and what we are finding right now is everyone is struggling in their own way."
Which is why Second Chance wants to give garden boxes filled with produce to people who can not leave their homes and people who are out of work and can't afford groceries at all. "That is why I became a farmer is to help get people food and put my skills to use," said Kvernland. Kristin calls it Food Justice when produce goes to the people who need it the most. "I could sell all of this tomorrow there is a real high demand but we are trying to move it to people who can't afford to buy it," said Kvernland.
Students usually cultivate the garden but due to the stay at home order the program needs some seed money to get going again to do a whole lot of good. "It's approximately 30 dollars to provide a box of produce for a family," said DuBeau.
Just think a 30 dollar donation will help a family in need will eat healthy for a week. Second Chance has one garden in Encanto and a second garden that is twice as big in City Heights, so with a few donations this program will be up and operating for months and months. With your help, Second Chance will have a chance to do just that. "It's not about earning revenue it's not about anything other than trying to make the world a better place," said DuBeau.
If you'd like to sponsor a Garden Box for a family in need go to https://www.secondchanceprogram.org/give
If you'd like to contact Second Chance to see if you qualify for a free box of produce email Kristin Kvernland at kkvernland@secondchanceprogram.org.