These two local groups redefine what it means to make a fresh start

Stephen Landry, Gardner News
·3 min read

GARDNER — A group of parishioners at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church will be putting their green thumbs to use to benefit local residents in need of some healthy foods.

A community garden was recently installed on the church’s Cross Street property with the aim of growing fresh produce that will be distributed by the Gardner Community Action Committee.

“I’m kind of a serious gardener myself,” said the Rev. Timothy Crellin, who joined St. Paul’s as priest-in-charge in February. “When I first got here and saw this piece of land, I said I was going to find out who owns that because in Boston, where I come from, sometimes people will let you garden on an empty lot. Then I found out the church owned it, and I thought, ‘Well, there we go.’”

The Rev. Timothy Crellin, left, and parishioner Bruce Harris plant a community garden at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Gardner.
The Rev. Timothy Crellin, left, and parishioner Bruce Harris plant a community garden at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Gardner.

Because the church already had a long and beneficial relationship with the CAC, Crellin said he reached out to Executive Director Julie Meehan to see if she would be interested in receiving the garden’s harvest for distribution through the CAC’s food pantry.

“Without hesitation, the answer was ‘yes,’” Meehan said. “Aside from the increasing cost of food that our families and individuals struggle to provide for themselves, there is a health need for the fresh produce this project will provide. This will be a great benefit for the households we serve in Greater Gardner.”

Justin Chipman, left, Denise Whitney, Linda Chipman and Susan Hubbard recently volunteered to help plant a community garden at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Gardner.
Justin Chipman, left, Denise Whitney, Linda Chipman and Susan Hubbard recently volunteered to help plant a community garden at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Gardner.

A group of about 15 parishioners will help tend to the garden, which is expected to grow vegetables that are among the most requested by clients at the CAC, Crellin said.

“We’re going to buy the plants that Julie suggested, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash and green beans,” he said. “She said they didn’t usually have a lot of interest in eggplant, so we’re not going to plant that. We’ll focus on kind of the basic stuff that people can cook with and feed their family.”

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Meehan said St. Paul’s and the CAC has partnered on food donations, deliveries of food to homebound clients, the backpack program, and other volunteer-related projects. She said she would like to see the concept of community gardens grow in the area as a way to address food insecurity for those in need.

Brandon Grenier, left, Bill Grenier and Jenny Crellin recently volunteered to help plant a community garden at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Gardner.
Brandon Grenier, left, Bill Grenier and Jenny Crellin recently volunteered to help plant a community garden at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Gardner.

“We would love to see this more in the community,” she said. “Donations of fresh fruit and vegetables is welcomed and appreciated.”

Crellin said the garden is another way for the church’s members to engage in outreach within the community.

“(Parishioners) are really interested in having the church contribute to life in Gardner, and I think it’s a chance for us to be a little bit more visible — people see this garden and they know that the church is really active in the community,” he said.

The garden, which is comprised of eight raised beds, was funded by a $3,000 grant from the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, according to church officials. A fence will be erected around the garden within a few weeks.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church garden to benefit Gardner CAC