This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Temple Beth Sholom Schools Donates Harvested Garden Veggies to All Faiths Food Bank Sprout Program

Second and Third grade classes at Temple Beth Sholom (TBS) Schools harvested more than a dozen bushels of fresh vegetables from their school garden and donated them to the Sprout truck this morning for the Campaign Against Summer Hunger.

“As part of our Native American studies curriculum at TBS Schools, our Second and Third graders planted corn, beans and squash this season. We thought partnering with All Faiths Food Bank for this harvest would truly exemplify our service based initiatives here at the school, demonstrating to our students how important it is to give back to the community,” said Robin Sweeting, assistant principal at TBS Schools.  

In addition to the corn, beans and squash, students harvested onions, kale, radishes, and several other vegetables that were full grown. Students picked the fresh veggies and loaded them onto the All Faiths Food Bank Sprout truck. The Sprout mobile produce program is the first of its kind in the area, which delivers fresh fruits and veggies to almost 5,000 families in Sarasota County.

Find out what's happening in St. Petewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We could not be more thrilled to see kids helping kids in the community,” said Sandra Frank, executive director of All Faiths Food Bank, who stopped by to thank the children personally. “What a fantastic event to help wrap up our Campaign Against Summer Hunger,” she said.

The All Faiths Food Bank Campaign Against Summer Hunger began on April 1, 2014 and concludes on May 10, 2014 to coincide with the National Letter Carriers Food Drive. There are 21,000 Sarasota County students (50%) on free and reduced lunch. During the summer, when school is out, those kids - and their siblings and families - may go without regular meals. All Faiths Food Bank is leading the Campaign Against Summer Hunger to encourage Sarasota residents to "empty their shelves" and make a cash gift so no child in our community goes hungry. To donate online go to www.allfaithsfoodbank.org

Find out what's happening in St. Petewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

About All Faiths Food Bank

All Faiths Food Bank, recently awarded a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, is a member of Feeding America and the hub of the hunger-relief system in DeSoto and Sarasota counties. Last year, All Faiths Food Bank distributed 7 million pounds of food equating to 5.8 million meals through 195 pantries, soup kitchens, churches, community centers, schools, and programs. Its mission is to feed those in need and educate the community about hunger and nutrition. For more information call 941-379-6333 or visit www.allfaithsfoodbank.org.

About TBS Schools

Temple Beth Sholom (TBS), a Sarasota Preschool to 8th grade private school, is open to all faiths and established its Preschool program in 1974. TBS Schools has been in its current building located at 1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota, Florida 34237, since January 1988. The Justin Lee Wiesner Preschool program consists of classes for Baby Play and children up to four years of age. The Goldie Feldman Academy (GFA) was founded in 1992 as an expansion of the Justin Lee Wiesner Preschool. It has continued to grow and flourish under the careful guidance of our administration, dedicated teachers, volunteer leadership, staff, and the demand for excellence from our parents. At GFA, we nurture the whole child as one who is capable of an infinite amount of possibilities. Our caring and qualified staff is committed to helping each student reach his/her full potential. The Goldie Feldman Academy at Temple Beth Sholom is the only private Jewish school in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Justin Lee Wiesner Preschool is accredited by Florida Kindergarten Council. Goldie Feldman Academy is accredited by the Florida Kindergarten Council and the Florida Council of Independent Schools. For more information go to www.tbsschools.org

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?