Programs
Three programs, in detail
What we run, who shows up, what it costs us, what it costs participants.
One of three
Neighbor pantry
Tuesdays and Saturdays, 4 to 7 pm, year-round. Choice-model pantry — neighbors walk through open shelves and select what they want, in the quantities they want. No proof-of-need, no income verification, no household-size counting. Roughly 360 households served per week. Stock comes from the garden in summer, partner food-bank deliveries in winter, and a standing donation from three nearby restaurants on Mondays and Fridays.
Runs on a $78,000/year budget; about 41% of total program spend. Eight volunteers per shift; total volunteer hours ~3,200/year.
Two of three
Community garden plots
Ninety-six raised beds at the SE 35th garden, on a fifteen-year lease through 2033. Plot-holders sign a one-year agreement (March–February) and commit to a minimum of one Saturday work-day per quarter at the garden. Plot fees are sliding-scale: $0 for households at or below the regional median income, $60 mid-tier, $120 for households we know can carry the cost. Plot holders donate roughly 35% of their harvest back to the pantry voluntarily; we ask, we don’t require.
Runs on a $32,000/year budget; about 17% of total program spend. Waitlist: 32 households at last count.
Three of three
Nutrition education
Free six-week cooking and nutrition workshops, three cohorts per year. Two cohorts are after-school programs at Sunnyside, Glencoe, and Richmond elementary schools (5th and 6th graders, around 60 kids per cohort). The third is an adult evening cohort at the garden (Wednesdays, eight participants per cohort, designed for caregivers cooking for kids). Curriculum was built by Owen Park (board secretary, former line cook) in 2019; revised every other year based on what works.
Runs on a $24,000/year budget; about 13% of total program spend. Curriculum + lesson plans are open-source on our GitHub.