On Saturday October18, 2014 the Ancaster Avalanche Minor Bantam AE Team volunteered their time in the community at Hamilton Victory Gardens.
The concept behind Hamilton Victory Gardens actually has its roots in a time of global conflict. In order to reduce pressure on public food supplies during the first and second World Wars, people in Canada, the U.S., Great Britain, France and Germany would use public spaces and their own yards to grow fruits and vegetables. Not only did these gardens, known as Victory Gardens, contribute to the war effort, they also provided an opportunity to instill an important sense of community when the world needed it most.
With a little faith, you can change a city The Victory Garden concept has made a modern resurgence in Hamilton, the result of one couple’s faith in the idea that by giving without expecting anything in return, a group of like-minded individuals can transform a city. The seeds of Hamilton Victory Gardens were planted in 2011, the vision of Hamilton residents Bill and Judy Wilcox. They believed that the dozens of empty city lots lying unused in our city could become sustainable sources of food in a community where too many go hungry or do not have the proper nutritious food supply.
In partnership with the Good Shepherd, the first Victory Garden was built on Catherine Street North in the spring of 2011. The idea resonated with dozens of volunteers, students, and neighbors who helped to grow and harvest 2,200 pounds of produce for local food banks and hot meal programs that year. Over the past three years, the simple Christian act of one couple extending an unconditional hand of friendship has grown into a dedicated group of volunteers that were able to harvest over 30,350 pounds of fresh produce for local food banks and hot meal programs in 2013, and are well on their way to the 2014 harvest goal of 50,000 pounds!
For more information, please visit:
http://www.hamiltonvictorygardens.org/