Community Corner

Ann's Choice Residents Plant Garden to Benefit Local Food Pantry

The vegetables that grow in the retirement community's garden will be donated to the emergency food cupboard at Warminster Heights.

While you stayed tucked away in your air conditioned home to escape yesterday's sweltering heat, members of the Gardening Club shoveled, prepped and planted seeds that will eventually grow into vegetables that will be donated to the Warminster Heights Food Cupboard, located at 75 Downey Drive.

Charley Gysi, Betty Sykes, Ruth Kurtz and Ed Schreiner cultivated five 10-foot-by-10-foot plots with tomatoes, peppers, basil, beets and carrots in an effort to provide fresh produce for the charitable organization.

"We don't normally accept fresh items because we have no way to store them long-term," said Carolyn Sanford, president of the food bank. "The day these come in, they will go right back out."

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Sanford has been with the food cupboard since 1971 and has always appreciated the support of organizations like Ann's Choice and church-based groups. Servicing the needy in Warminster, Upper Southampton, Warrington, Richboro, Willow Grove, Hatboro and Horsham, the cupboard has seen an increase of visitors over the last few years.

"We are lucky to have such great communitu relations to provide us the food," said Sanford. "We also have a lot of wonderful volunteers to help manage the pantry's operations."

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Sykes, who has been growing flowers and vegetables since the age of eight, said that this project is a synthesis of passion and doing what's right.

"I think I have a fortunate life," she said, "and as one who loves gardening, especially at Ann's Choice, I keep in mind those who are less fortunate and think that some of the food I grow can help them."


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