Rotary Stories from Around the World

Posted by Chris Woodruff

Community Service Update:

Vegetable gardens improve health and nutrition in Virginia.

The Rotary Club of Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, USA, realized that hunger is not just a problem in faraway countries, but an everyday reality in its community. Many families face hardship because of unemployment or underemployment; the elderly are also susceptible. Those affected by poverty often must rely on local ministries to provide meals.

The club researched the problem and found scant data on hunger in the region. One fact that did surface, however, was that unemployment increased by 122 percent in Virginia in just a couple of years, yet food stamp use increased by only 18 percent. A huge gap exists between the number who need assistance and those who receive it.

The club also learned that too often, cheap food is not healthful. With grants from the district and the assistance of food banks and the local Lake Christian Ministries, it provides containers of fruits and vegetables each month to hundreds of residents and their families. Club members work alongside the other organizations and volunteers to package the produce for distribution. The club has also established community gardens for growing vegetables to add to the donations, and it has gathered information from nutritionists and gardeners on how recipients can maintain gardens at home to further supplement their diets. This project received a 2009-10 RI Significant Achievement Award