Carol Newton said her staff at Thermal Belt Outreach took a leap of faith in offering their Garden of Hope program to 35 clients again in its second year. There are currently just two spots left in this year’s program but funding has come through for only nine of those 35 participants.

Newton said it takes only $40 to sponsor a single client’s garden. That $40, she said, supplies them with food worth much more in both a fiscal and mental sense.

“These folks are learning new skills that can benefit them in life,” Newton said. “We support other people who need help on occasion to support themselves, but we can’t do it if we don’t have the community’s support.”

TBOM Client Services Coordinator Michelle Reedy set up $40 vouchers through the program for clients at Tryon Hardware, Columbus Hardware and Green Creek Farm Supply. With the vouchers, clients can purchase garden necessities such as tools and fertilizer. TBOM then provides seeds through donations from the Green Blades Garden Club and WCCA, while Lynn Sprague, director of the Mill Spring Agriculture Center, will assist each client. Sprague will help them till their garden and teach them the necessary knowledge to grow their own produce.

The volatile economy last year put Collette Thompson in a position of needing assistance to supplement her income. Spending much of her life as an avid gardener, she was thrilled to run across a program that boosted her spirits and offset ever-rising food costs.

“It helped tremendously,” Thompson said. “It saves you money on lettuces, celery – all sorts of things that tend to be expensive. They had someone till my garden – I couldn’t afford that this year. It all has been such a blessing.”

Thompson received a bounty of seeds, including staples such as tomatoes and squash (10 different varieties, in fact). She also got a batch of unexpected seeds such as apple gourd, celeriac and kohlrabi and herbs like sage and anise. When her garden proved fruitful, Thompson brought an abundance of produce back to TBOM to feed other clients.

“I think it’s a neat feeling to provide yourself with something. When you taste them from your own garden and know the money you save… it has a profound affect on you,” Thompson said. “I think people are pushed to realize they can do more than they are doing and I think it teaches self-esteem and more respect for the environment.”

Reedy said the clients truly look forward to the program.

“Last year they all came together at the end of the season for a vegetable feast,” Reedy said. “We all sat down to share a meal – when people are struggling they crave that support.” They are often lifted up to help one another, Thompson said. “You want them to participate, you want to nourish independence,” Thompson said.

Another aspect of TBOM’s gardening program includes multiple plots within its on-site community garden. Community volunteers are working to cultivate a variety of crops in raised beds on TBOM property in order to help supplement the pantry. To donate funds for the client gardens, call TBOM at 828-894-2988.