Community garden helping food insecurities with steady growth

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - When we first met Charlene Keith in early 2021, she recently started the Windsor Forest Neighbors Feeding Neighbors Food Giveaway.

For a time, actually giving the food away out of her own driveway.

Well, it’s grown quite a bit since then, now serving thousands of people regularly which inspired Charlene to add something new, to help them serve the community in more ways than one.

“This is our community garden.”

This community garden is just the latest tool being used by Charlene Keith and Neighbors Feeding Neighbors.

“Some may not be able to afford to go to the store to get their own products. We have a lot of food insecurities and we try and resolve that with the garden,” Keith said.

Allowing people, free of charge, to grow their own food.

“They can either use the vegetables for their own use at home or we can take it to the giveaway and provide for a larger community,” Keith said.

Getting your hands dirty, and maybe learning a little along the way.

“This is a great educational tool for our children. Our high school children, our home schoolers. They can come out and be taught by our master gardeners on what needs to be planted, how it needs to be planted and the growth and development of our vegetables here,” Keith said.

And with all you’re getting, the only thing they ask in return.

“You have to be committed to coming out and manning your own box. We have raised beds; you have to come take care of your own beds,” Keith said.

So, like growing food, ending hunger takes work.

“It is old school; it is old school. But it is so rewarding, it really is. Just to come out here and see how we plant our seedlings and how they grow up,” Keith said.

And the more seeds you plant, the more growth there is to see, in the garden and in our community.

“I believe this is our first garden. I believe there is two, three, four, five gardens to come as a result of this garden,” she said.

Growing in the community garden is free but there is an application process.

Selecting the right soil

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