Behind every piece of fresh produce in our food pantry, there is a community that cares. The Garden for All—our partner in growing and giving—provides free, beautiful harvests that help nourish our neighbors through the Broad Street Food Pantry. Here’s how they’re feeding both bodies and spirits in Central Ohio:
Every week – sometimes even more than once a week – The Garden for All delivers a true rainbow of produce. From crisp cucumbers to bright golden squash and leafy greens in every shade, The Garden for All is a living testament to what it means to “eat the rainbow.” But the beauty of this garden isn’t just in its colors—it’s in its purpose. Every tomato, pepper, carrot, and eggplant grown at The Garden is a gift, and many of those gifts find their way to the Broad Street Food Pantry.
At the Broad Street Food Pantry, our mission is to honor our neighbors by serving as a reliable source for ingredients that create healthy, nutritious meals. While canned goods and shelf-stable products are essential, the desire for fresh fruits and vegetables has grown dramatically. Families want to eat healthier. Parents want to serve their children meals that support their growth. Seniors managing health conditions rely on fresh produce to maintain a balanced diet. But fresh produce, especially organic, locally grown vegetables, is often the hardest to come by for families facing food insecurity.
This is where The Garden for All makes a huge difference. The Garden for All is more than a garden; it’s a community effort rooted in compassion and sustainability. It’s tended by volunteers who believe that access to healthy food is not a privilege, it is a right. And so far, this summer’s growing season has brought us a wide variety of produce, including newer harvests like raspberries and okra. In total, The Garden for All has provided 6,700 servings of fresh produce to the Broad Street Food Pantry so far in 2025, with more to come before the end of the year. Thanks to The Garden’s generous weekly deliveries, the Broad Street Food Pantry is able to offer clients beautiful, nutrient-rich produce that would otherwise be out of reach.
Not only does receiving fresh produce provide a plethora of health benefits, but access to nutritious fruits and vegetables helps restore something often lost in the struggle with food insecurity: dignity. Clients light up when they see the pantry filled with new produce from The Garden for All. They ask questions about how to cook with collard greens, or what to make from microgreens. They get to choose foods that they feel good about and maybe have not enjoyed in a long time, making the experience more empowering than before. These moments matter, because they are evidence of connection, community, and resilience.
Because The Garden for All typically goes above and beyond the pantry’s expectations, their produce also plays a crucial role in easing the financial burden on the pantry’s operations. Currently, over 85% of the fresh produce distributed by the pantry comes free from the Mid-Ohio Food collective or is purchased from local growers and distributors. However, recent cuts in both state and federal funding are expected to severely limit the availability of free produce, placing additional strain on already stretched resources. The need for fresh food increases as the gap between income and cost of living increases. In difficult times like these, The Garden has become more than just a source of nourishment, it stands as a beacon of hope as well.
The success of this partnership depends on volunteers, donors, and community members like you. You can get involved simply by spreading awareness, sending a donation, or by dedicating a few hours a week to volunteering at the pantry or The Garden. Every harvest and delivery has the potential to impact hundreds of families in Central Ohio. So next time you see that beautiful rainbow of produce, remember it represents hope, happy bellies, and the power of bringing a community together.
Find more information & volunteer opportunities at www.thegardenforall.org!
