Helping Hands Harvest



 All of this produce was picked from MadCAAP's Helping Hands Garden from June 2 - 5.

We were able to provide fresh vegetables for 73 families this morning!

Carolyn has been one of the most faithful and hardworking client gardeners.

Not matter how hot or how weary she may be, Carolyn has a huge smile to share.

She is our Sunshine!

   

Many of those receiving food on Mondays are handicapped or elderly.  Some have small children.  Here are some of those who picked up food today and will have the chance to eat fresh squash, tomatoes, okra, cucumbers or zucchini for supper tonight.  What a joy for me to see our plans and hopes becoming a reality!

                        YIPPEE!

What an amazing day of sharing made possible through the dedication and hard work of some very special volunteers and clients.  Thank you to Harold, Dorothy, Vicky F., Daniel, Sheila, Carole, Shirley, Carolyn, Kermit, John, Karen, Olivia for being my "go-to gardeners" each and every week.  We have also been blessed by the help of many other individuals & groups whose earlier work has been shown on the blog.  There's still plenty to do that does not require a green thumb...like harvesting and watering, mowing and weed-eating.  There's a spot for all!   When you see what was picked in just a 4 day time frame last week...there's no doubt that on-going help is definitely needed. 

Sure it's hot...but when we share the work...it's all good!

Quick Update



Wal-Mart volunteers mowing & weed-eating

   

  MadCAAP client watering the garden                                  



                      



Volunteer from St. Joseph Catholic Church and MadCAAP client planting another round of tomato plants.

                                          

St. Joseph Catholic Church volunteering again.

our first tomato





         

baby cucumbers

  


Great group of volunteers
Regional managers & HR managers from Wal-Mart.
They painted, mowed, ran the weed-eater & built 3 new raised beds!

Our shed with a coat of green paint





Mother's Day at MadCAAP's Garden

Meet my talented son, Josh, who created our garden logo.



My silly sons, David & Josh from Birmingham, showing off their "Helping Hands".

Luckily Josh and David, as well as my daughter Jennifer, share my love of gardening so it wasn't to difficult to persuade the boys to go with me to check on the garden on Mother's Day. (Jennifer was at the Kentucky Derby, but I'm sure she'll take a turn in the garden when she visits from SC later in the summer).  We watered & watered & watered!  What a job!  I am thankful for the fun these two brought to a task that could otherwise have become very wearisome.  MadCAAP's Helping Hands Garden is really going to make a difference in the 80 boxes of food that we distribute each week.  I can't wait to get to that point!

           More help is NEEDED in the garden!  

How about adding your "helping hands" to this project?



  

Look how much the first bed of tomato plants has grown.  Soon these tomatoes will be ready to be picked and placed in one of the 80 boxes of food that MadCAAP distributes weekly.  MadCAAP's "Helping Hands" Garden is going to make a to make BIG a difference. 

                               

                                                              

blooms on our potato plants

baby squash on our first beds planted

 

These squash plants and pole beans were planted from seed in mid-April. 

They're going strong!

Contact me at 601-506-1267 or at  madcaapcenter@hotmail.com to find out about work days.

Day of Shine in the Garden



Master Gardeners & a MadCAAP client tending the raised beds.



Volunteers of all ages from Broadmoor Baptist Church

Broadmoor volunteers getting the rows just right for planting.

    Dorothy Chadwick, our Master Gardener partner is sharing her
           expertise about planting squash with a group of MadCAAP clients. 

      This how the garden looked at the end of the day on April 9, 2011 at 3:30 p.m.
After a full day of work, the shed is practically finished and the rows are ready for planting.

Throughout the day on Saturday, April 9 about 50 volunteers worked in the Helping Hands Garden from 8:30 til 3:30.  The workers consisted of youth from Highlands Presbyterian church, a large group of  families with small children from Broadmoor Baptist, several Master Gardeners, MadCAAP clients and others who have a passion for gardening and a love of MadCAAP.  The majority of the group did gardening chores; but there was a group of amazing carpenters from Broadmoor who built a shed to house our gardening tools.  It was a great day of fellowship, learning and fun!  I echo the comment that one of our MadCAAP clients made, " I have really learned some things about gardening today!"

OUr next workday is Saturday, April 16 from 9:00 til NOON or until everything is planted, whichever comes first.  Come join the work and learn something along the way!

Workdays Past & Future

Remember our WORKDAY on

SATURDAY, APRIL 9.

9:00 until noonish

 

The following pictures were taken on March 19.  Lots has changed since then.

Harold, Shirley Carole & Judy

Bob and Linda Kaye doing their part to get the beds ready for the tomato plants.

Alydia, Shirley and Carole getting the beds ready for planting.

March 19 Workday
We are excited about our tomato plants from the USDA and from Harold's greenhouse.  If you look at the previous post you can see how these plants have grown.

See Y'all on this coming Saturday, April 9!

No Fooling, Y'all!

                                HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S AFTERNOON!

Oh My Goodness!  A Baby Tomato

  

Squash Seedlings






A Potato Vine Emerges



Johnny and I just returned from hanging the "Helping Hands" signs at the garden and I just had to show what we saw!  Our very FIRST tomato and some other of our veggies on their way. I am sooooooo excited and had to share with everyone!   Who knows what next Saturday, will bring.  Lots of weeds to be dealt with next week, if not before.                                                                                                

 

 Hope everyone enjoys the peek at our garden...the blog site has been giving me fits...I am publishing it "as is"...can't seem to get all of the text or the pictures to display as I intend

so technology 1 - Judy 0

Saturday's Children

On Saturday, approximately 60 tomato plants were tucked carefully in the soil of their raised bed.  On Tuesday, I returned to water the little ones and I could almost see their appreciation.  Even though I could not see it on squash and sugar pea seeds faces, I'm pretty sure that the enjoyed their refreshing shower, too, sighing, "life is good!"