Guest Post: People are hungry, others are happy to give
Gabriella Sonnenschein, Communication Specialist of the Mitzvah Garden KC Giving Grove orchard in Overland Park, KS
“You just have to go there, and you’ll keep coming back.”
This is a common phrase among the Mitzvah Garden KC community. The magnetic force of this peaceful garden and orchard, nestled in Overland Park, Kansas, pulls people of all backgrounds to find happiness within themselves while serving others fresh, organic, and sustainable produce. Mitzvah Garden KC is home to a 71 tree orchard, planted in 2013.
It all started with the dedication of Ken Sonnenschein, farmer and physician, and his wife Sheila, who wanted to transform the backyard of their St. Louis synagogue in 1994. Starting with a mere 6 raised beds, the Mitzvah Garden was born. As the Sonnenschein family moved to Kansas City, they decided to move the garden. Expanded to 10 beds on the grounds of retirement home Village Shalom, Mitzvah Garden KC made its city debut.
Today, the garden stands on the grounds of The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, covering 64,000 square feet. Annually, nearly 10,000 pounds of produce are distributed among Greater Kansas City Area food pantries, including 300 pounds of honey and fruit from dozens of Giving Grove trees.
“Food pantries have reported a marked increase in users since the pandemic. Our mission,
donating fresh vegetables and fruits, addresses a hidden need within an otherwise affluent
community.”
Children pick cherries to be donated to local food pantry.
Brenda Ruppel, full-time volunteer, adds “Especially since we were in the middle of a pandemic, so many people were in need, and we were helping to fulfill that need. That was my inspiration to keep this garden growing in 2020.”
Inspirational happenstances occur daily at Mitzvah Garden KC. From neighbors of 10 years walking through for the first time with a new puppy, to majestic bucks enjoying the fresh sunrise air, the land allows visitors to stare in shock at nature’s beauty. Events such as the Mitzvah Garden Campout and annual Honey Harvest allow newcomers to feel that gratification, even if just for a night.
Volunteers stand behind tree dedicated to the victims of the 2014 shooting at the Jewish Community Center.
“There are so many experiences that spur awe and wonder. It is simply both
spiritually and physically gratifying to be up at the garden.”
Dedicated sections of the garden allow for dignified tributes to victims of violence in the Kansas City area from all faiths and backgrounds. In April 2014, a tragic shooting took three innocent lives of visitors to the Jewish Community Center building and local retirement home, Village Shalom. The garden’s orchard dedicates a tree to the memory of these souls. Collectively, volunteers understood that part of ‘Growing the Good’ is being aware of precious life, in and outside the garden, Jewish and friends of the community.
As with any undertaking this size, there are challenges in operating a multi-acre community garden and orchard. Despite these hardships, Mitzvah Garden KC volunteers feel it’s worth fighting for. The presence of sweaty hugs, dirt-covered hands and smiles that shine for miles keep visitors coming back, week after week. Sundays, also known as garden days, allow all the hardworking volunteers to get a sense of ecstatic excitement as they set the stage for the rest of their weeks. The most rewarding feeling of them all? Knowing the produce goes to people who really need it.
Throughout the years, volunteers have not only learned crafty tips and tricks on successful irrigation (drip and water-capture system) and mass-gardening but also how to safely and organically manage pests. Volunteers like Chuck Luchen and Aaron Spiegel come up with creative solutions, such as elaborate fences and beetle-catching contraptions, that help the garden and orchard function more efficiently.
Regulars have expressed that participation in Mitzvah Garden KC activities transforms their soul. Stemming from corporate 9-5 work, some volunteers now spend most sunlight hours of the day at the garden, slogging in the mud, ready to serve fresh produce to those in need.
Ruppel deduced, “Had it not been for this garden, my husband and I would not have the friends that we have. This garden grows more than just food, it grows long-lasting friendships.”
Mitzvah Garden KC operates for volunteers every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Please contact Gay Handler at grhandler@mindspring.com for more information. If you enjoyed this blog post, consider subscribing to The Serving, Giving Grove’s quarterly newsletter, to get information like this and more straight to your inbox.