At both gardens, MHC volunteers encounter a variety of issues — accessibility, environmental and financial problems.
The Banneker Green Thumbs Garden was yielding less and less produce because of a large tree’s shade. The Crestmont Community Garden has an invasive bindweed problem taking over most of the space, and the garden’s location made it difficult for people to reach.
Surveys from the neighborhood reported people didn’t feel safe going there at night.
“We were putting a lot of resources into something that wasn’t meeting the needs of the community,” Amanda Nickey, MHC president and CEO, said. “We really want to be a response to the need.”
Nickey said MHC will re-evaluate how it can help the Crestmont neighborhood in the future.
Leslie Brinson, facility and program coordinator at the Banneker Center, said MHC volunteers will still teach education classes at the Green Thumbs Garden.
Now MHC plans to put more energy into what it’s doing within its own walls.
After moving to its new space in June 2013, the pantry saw an increase in onsite activity. Before, the organization had 1,000 square feet to its name — there was no space for classes or gardening. That’s why MHC chose to steward community gardens, Nickey said. Doing so contributed to one of their main missions: increasing access to healthy food.
Now, however, the organization has about 4,000 square feet to work with. In addition to the pantry, it has outdoor gardens, classrooms, a kitchen, a seed library and a tool share program.
Close to 4,000 patrons come through the pantry each week, Nickey said. MHC has an operating budget of less than $400,000 per year to serve them.
“For us, it makes the most sense to focus our incredibly limited resources onsite,” Nickey said. “We see a lot more engagement here.”
Crestmont Garden will be reverted back to green space, said Robin Hobson, community garden program manager for the City Parks and Recreation Department.
The Banneker Green Thumbs Garden will continue to exist. The Banneker Center is currently discussing forming a partnership with the Near West Side Neighborhood Association. If that goes through, Brinson said the association would take charge of maintaining the garden and finding volunteers to help.
Brinson said there’s no hostility between MHC and the gardens. She called the organization “a great partner.”
“This is not a negative ... we aren’t angry,” she said. “They have to do what’s right for Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard.”
Nickey said the decision to move on was hard.
“There were a lot of tears on our end,” she said.
