Growing help for poor

• By JULIE KAY
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Apr 19, 2008 - Page: 1E - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Jenny Buchtel says digging in the dirt is more than her ministry: It is also an act of worship.

“I feel like I’m closer to God’s heart in the garden than any other place,” she said.

That closeness goes along with Jesus Christ’s commandment to feed his sheep she said of her work with Our Father’s Garden.

The Garden, a ministry of the Church of the Holy Spirit, affiliated with the Episcopal church, has been operating for more than two decades to provide fruit and vegetables to community ministries.

Today, the gardens have been scaled back, but still provide an ample yield from prepared beds, Buchtel, a church member, said.

Harvested foods, including figs, blueberries, oranges, lemons, beans, eggplant, squash, and later, okra, are taken to Southeast Ministries for distribution to the needy.

Volunteers who prepare, plant and maintain the 10 beds come mostly from Church of the Holy Spirit and such community organizations as the Boy Scouts.

Now that it’s spring, volunteers will be out each Saturday, Buchtel said.

Ministry leaders would like to have more volunteers from area churches.

High-school junior Ben Samuels worked at the gardens for a Boy Scout merit badge.

Working in the garden is a popular project for the Scouts, he said.

“Scouts have done multiple projects there and we’re always welcome, plus they provide the supplies we need,” he said.

Samuels said several of the Scouts from Troop 478 went together, clearing overgrowth and a no-longer-needed compost pile in two days.