Fighting Veteran food insecurity with community garden

It’s a little community garden that’s growing into a new lifeline for area Veterans.

Since May, La Salle VA Clinic staff have planted, watered and harvested a 500-square-foot vegetable patch for food-insecure Veterans who receive treatment at the Peru, Illinois, clinic.

Nurse Donna Whitley says the LaSalle Veteran Community Garden will not only provide fresh vegetables to promote healthy eating but also serve as a place for Veterans to spend time in the sunshine, get physical exercise and give them a sense of accomplishment.

The La Salle clinic maintains a micro food pantry for Veterans in need, but staff wanted to add a community garden to supplement the mostly nonperishable items with fresh produce, explained Sally Washkowiak, nurse clinic manager.

Didn’t take long for the project to take root

Within 24 hours of the request from Washkowiak, landlord Joe Welte was digging the 20×25′ garden, thrilled that the La Salle clinic would be at the frontlines in the fight against Veteran food insecurity.

“We have Veterans who serve this country that don’t have food,” said Welte. “The community garden is the least we can do to care for them.”  

La Salle clinic social worker and garden enthusiast Laura McNally echoes Welte’s sentiment. “As someone who gardens at home, I take pride in wanting this garden to succeed.”

One of seven employees caring for the garden until the clinic secures Veteran volunteers, McNally coordinates the securing of garden supplies, ensures the water schedule is in place and assists in planting vegetables for the garden.

The garden currently consists of two cherry tomatoes, two slicing tomatoes, one sweet pepper and one cucumber, as well as radishes, onions and carrots. Fruit trees are expected to be planted soon.

“I hope the garden will provide food security for our Veterans and give them purposeful volunteer opportunities,” McNally said. “This garden is a physical representation of the camaraderie between VA staff and our Veterans we proudly serve.”

The La Salle VA Clinic provides primary care and specialty health services to 2,518 Veterans. It is one of Edward Hines Jr. VA hospital’s six outpatient clinics. All clinics maintain micro food pantries for Veterans in need. Hines VA hosts a food pantry every Thursday.