New community garden helps London’s marginalized

The Black People of Colour Community Garden is providing fresh vegetables in London, Ont. (Courtesy of Mystery Furtado)

London, Ont. -

A new community garden in London is helping people that wouldn’t otherwise have access to fresh vegetables. 

The Black People of Colour Community Garden is providing fresh vegetables for 10 families who have worked hard all summer long on a plot behind the London Food Bank on Leathorne Street.

“It helps them because ordinarily, we wouldn’t be able to afford a plot of laA new community garden in London is helping people that wouldn’t otherwise have access to fresh vegetables.  nd to just plant and we wouldn’t be able to afford even the supplies to even get started on a community garden,” says Mystery Furtado the project manager of the BPOC Community Garden.

Glen Pearson, from the food bank, says this type of work is part of their mandate, saying, “this one is wonderful because it’s about marginalized and even racialized folks so this is a real opportunity for us as a Food Bank to weigh in one that as well.”

Next year the food bank is hoping to provide the group with a greenhouse of their own in London to help the families even more.

“This particular group is growing food for themselves and that’s what’s so great about it to see them get into it especially when you see all of those kids,” says Pearson.

Right now they’re growing things like broccoli, kale, peppers, tomatoes and even cabbage.  But next summer they’re hoping to expand the project to include even more types of vegetables.

“It’s all about people helping people,” says Furtado. “We want to ensure that different pockets of people have the resources and skills they need to sustain a healthier lifestyle.”