Staten Island Holds Conference of Community & School Gardens, Food Pantries, Volunteers

Jan. 13, 2012 - PRLog -- Approximately 20 acres on Staten Island are, or could become, community gardens. Two dozen food pantries want to learn more about getting fresh produce to their clients. Many Staten Island organizations are looking for compelling outdoor projects for their members.

On January 21, members of Staten Island community gardens, school gardens, food pantries, and volunteer organizations will meet at St. John’s University, Kelleher Center, 300 Howard Ave., for the first Grow to Give conference. (The snow date is January 28.)

This conference will let attendees

- meet other community gardeners
- find out how to start a new garden or work in an existing garden
- determine which local food pantries and soup kitchens can accept fresh produce
- find out how Scout troops, church groups, students, civic associations, senior groups, and individuals can help with gardens and pantries

Sponsors and participants include City Harvest, New York City Parks & Recreation, GreenThumb, GrowNYC, Just Food, Moravian Community Garden, the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, NYC Compost Project on Staten Island, Project Hospitality, Roots of Peace Community Garden, St. John’s University Staten Island Committee for Campus-Community Partnerships, and the Staten Island Hunger Task Force.

Schedule, Grow to Give Conference: January 21, 2012

Breakfast and lunch will be served. Anyone bringing a non-perishable food item will be entered into a raffle.

8:30 a.m.: Registration, breakfast, and a welcome from Dr. Christopher Cuccia, Assistant Academic Vice President, and Jessica Cook, Associate Director, Academic Service-Learning, of St. John’s University, Rev. Terry Troia from Project Hospitality, and Lenny Librizzi from GrowNYC.

9:30 a.m.: “What has been done already?” Panel discussion and Q&A—Rev. Lynnette Delbridge from the Castleton Moravian Church, John Garcia of the Roots of Peace community garden, Howard Hemmings from NYC Housing Authority, and Cathy Zelonis from the Joe Holzcka Garden.

10:30 a.m.: “What more can be done?” Panel discussion and Q&A—Gus Jones from the Snug Harbor Heritage Farm, Edie Stone from Green Thumb, Meredith Byrne from the Roots of Peace community garden, and David Hernandez, director of constituent services for Councilmember Debi Rose.

Noon to 1:15 p.m.: Networking lunch and information expo, with local organizations providing information about their services and missions.

1:30-2:45 p.m.: Two concurrent workshops, one on identifying resources (moderated by Michael Schnall, NYC Parks, and Andrew Blancero, NYC Compost Project on Staten Island) and the other on creating partnerships (moderated by Rev. Deacon Geri Swanson, volunteer coordinator, Trinity Lutheran soup kitchen).

2:45-3:30 p.m.: Summary by Dr. Robert Fanuzzi, St. John’s University, and next steps.

To sign up for the conference, go to http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/217731 or call 1-800-838-3006. The suggested donation is $5. For questions, email StatenIsland.Events@parks. nyc.gov or call 917 351-8788.

For directions to Kelleher Center, St. John's University, 300 Howard Ave., go to http://www.stjohns.edu/about/general/directions/direction....

Visit Grow to Give on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Staten-Island-Grow-to-Give....

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The Staten Island Hunger Task Force advocates for the needs of food-insecure families and individuals and not-for-profit emergency feeding programs to ensure that hunger needs are met in the borough of Staten Island.