Somewhere on “the other side of town,” outside the boundaries of LaPlace, a garden is growing. Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, kale, sugar snap peas, and greens--mustard, collard, turnip--all lie in wait in a well-laid garden tended daily by helpful hands.
Every vegetable that is harvested from this garden will find its way to LaPlace, to TownFolk Table, a weekly distribution of fresh, healthy foods to those in need.
How is this possible? TownFolk Table--with its dedicated volunteers and generous weekly donations from Whole Foods Market Lafayette--has proven itself to be a successful, much-needed program, aimed at providing easy access to healthy foods to the residents of LaPlace community. There is no shortage of neighbors who come by foot, bicycle, or vehicle on Saturdays, or who wait patiently on porches for their deliveries from TownFolk Table volunteers. The only limitations for the continued success of this program are its supply of food and the challenge of meeting the growing number of those in need each week. For this very reason, it is imperative that we come together with community partners like St. Barnabas, and do everything in our power to meet the needs of those we serve.
The availability of an underutilized community garden on the grounds of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church (located here in Lafayette at 200 Camellia Blvd.) has become a promising new source of fresh produce for TownFolk Table. St. Barnabas’ motto--”A Seat at that Table” conveys the church’s hope that all who enter there feel welcome and find a kind of nourishment. Similarly, TownFolk Table offers literal nourishment for their folks in the LaPlace neighborhood. With a commitment of support from its congregation, St. Barnabas was eager to offer up their hands and hearts, and the upcoming bounty from their newly revived community garden. Volunteers from both organizations recently came together for the St. Barnabas Community Garden Clean Up and Fall Planting, bringing this dream one step closer to fruition.
The prospect of a long-term additional or supplementary source for TownFolk Table is exciting, and we are truly grateful to St. Barnabas for their support. In working with St. Barnabas to produce a bountiful supply of healthy food, we also see this as a wonderful opportunity to build relationships with others who live outside our neighborhood boundaries. It is through such efforts--TownFolk reaching out and beyond--that we can reintroduce the Lafayette community to the wonderfully diverse and unique community that is LaPlace.
—Donna T.