Thermal Belt Outreach Ministry will begin taking applications for the fourth-annual Garden of Hope program during the first week of March.

This program, sponsored jointly by Western Carolina Community Action (WCCA) and Thermal Belt Outreach Ministry (Outreach), offers low-income families the opportunity to purchase needed tools, seeds and fertilizer for a successful vegetable garden. It also gives families the opportunity to learn a new skill, build family ties and develop a network of community relationships.

The Garden of Hope project could use your help in several ways. Garden supplies can be funded by a $45 contribution to Outreach. Or, if you prefer to get your hands dirty and teach a gardener the skills you have learned to create a productive garden with a variety of crops, please consider becoming a garden mentor.

Whether you sponsor a gardener with a financial contribution or become a mentor, you will receive an invitation to the Harvest Celebration at the end of the season. This fun and festive gathering will include food, blue ribbon competitions, games, prizes and more.

If you are interested in any part of this program, please contact Kathleen Carr at 828-693-1711.

– article submitted by Wendy Thomas