Gardens of Compassion presents the opportunity for you to grow your compassion for others by planting a vegetable garden. There is something very spiritual about planting a garden, caring for the crops, harvesting, and then sharing the bounty of the earth with others—especially those in need. The fruits of your labor would be used in the Missions’ Community Kitchen and/or distributed through our Food Pantry, and, of course, we want you to save some of the produce for your own use. One of the main focuses of Gardens of Compassion is to help encourage everyone to have the benefits that come from a diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables.

To help support the Gardens of Compassion initiative, Community Missions has entered into a partnership with “Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work and Play.” Through a 5 year grant awarded to Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County by the New York State Department of Health, Cooperative Extension educators will be working with the residents of Niagara Falls on healthy lifestyle choices to reduce the rates of chronic disease in the city residents. One of the many benefits of this partnership is that it will provide a series of free workshops on topics ranging from getting a garden started to healthy cooking ideas that can be used all year round.

All you need to get started is just a few square yards behind a church, in a back yard, or on a business’s grounds. If you are already exercising your green thumb, and have an existing vegetable garden, that works too! You can be part of Gardens of Compassion by planting an extra row or two of vegetables for the Mission.