Miriam O’Hare, Master Gardener and Project Manager of Rows for the Hungry, is the recipient of a 2023 Nation of Neighbors℠ empowerment award and a $10,000 grant.
Rows for the Hungry grows food exclusively for Middlesex County’s community food bank, Replenish and Elijah’s Promise. Replenish is a hunger eradication program that collects and distributes food to smaller local food banks across the county. Elijah’s Promise is a soup kitchen and training program.
The organization grew 4,000 pounds of food in their first year and expanded to more than 16,000 pounds of quality produce in 2023.
“Our food is grown directly for our food-insecure clients,” said Miriam. “We grow first quality food for those in need. Everyone should have access to fresh food.”
Rows for the Hungry also offers educational tours for schools, groups, and families to learn and engage hands-on with nature and gardening. Through the Corporate Days of Service program, they build teams with specific projects and harvest days while working with the volunteers. “This creates opportunities for sharing information not just about the Rows but also issues concerning food insecurity and engagement in community service. Over 500 people have visited us this year,” said Miriam.
Last year, Rows for the Hungry expanded their farm to two acres. The Nation of Neighbors grant will be used to acquire new machinery tools to help increase yields and relieve some of the burden on volunteers and community members.
“We are grateful for the support from Royal Neighbors,” said Miriam, “and it is our pleasure to serve the Middlesex County Community.”
