SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - The Enos Park Neighborhood Gardens serves as more than just a place to grow fruits and vegetables in Springfield. It is a space for people to work together and help each other.
“The last couple of years, we've had over 2000 visitor and volunteer engagements," said Carey Smith, the garden manager at Enos Park Neighborhood Gardens. "Last year we harvested 1,400 pounds of produce from our garden.”
As a not-for-profit organization, the garden relies on volunteers to weed, water and harvest each week. Those who help in the garden get first dibs on the produce picked.
All of the produce is provided to community members free of charge via farmers' markets or other organizations. Organizers said the garden helps address the lack of affordable fresh food options in the area.
“In my neighborhood, I can see that people in poverty don't shop at the County Market in our neighborhood because it's kind of pricey," said Smith. "They shop at the dollar store, which does not have a lot of fresh fruits. So when people can come out and pick up fresh, organic produce, I think they really enjoy it.”
But for many people, the garden is about more than produce. It has become a community gathering space helping neighbors connect.
“It's wonderful and I'm very happy that we're getting people involved in food," said Deborah Stoneburner. "Hopefully one day they'll grow their own and they'll be able to benefit from them."
Stoneburner is one of the volunteers who comes during the week to help with the gardens. She enjoys learning more about the produce that is growing and how to cook it.
She especially loves watching the weekly kids' programs and seeing the kids engage with the garden facilities.
“You don't see people walking around on their phones so much, and we're all interacting and seeing and learning about different things," Stoneburner said. "The kids, they don't know to be enthusiastic about it yet because they're learning. We have a little girl here [who] just eats the vegetables straight out of the garden every time I'm here."
As it enters its 15th season, the Enos Park Neighborhood Garden continues to welcome volunteers and visitors alike.
On Saturday, the garden has an open house from 9-11 a.m. They are hosting more than a dozen community organizations and are planning several giveaways. For more details, you can visit its website or Facebook page.
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