Our Clubs Make a Difference!
Roselle Park District Garden Club
received a Plant America Grant!
The Roselle IMPACT Garden is a joint effort between our club, Roselle School District 12 and the Roselle Park District to bring fresh organic produce to our local food pantry. The garden sits on school district property. Roselle Middle School students involved in their garden club use a portion of the garden for their own experiments and learning about growing vegetables.
The IMPACT Garden is funded in part by grants, our club and in-kind donations from local businesses and Community organizations. The Plant America Grant allowed us to have a fence built last year, Ames Tools Award provided us with much needed hand tools, Better Bilt donated the tomato cages, ALM Landscaping cut and tilled the soil, the Ospoma grant provided $300 worth of organic product, Midwest Landscape provided discounted soil amendment and donated plants for our perennial border, Hubbs Greenhouse donated our vegetable plants, Kellogg Garden for the pallets of free soil amendment, And Strength of 100, a local community organization awarded this project $2100.
Last year we provided over 2000 pounds of fresh produce to the Roselle Food Pantry. Despite the challenging weather in 2019, the club’s garden still produced over 1300 pounds of produce for two food local food pantries.
A site was chosen.
Elgin Garden Club's "Plant America" Project
The Elgin Garden Club is one of 4 recipients from Illinois for the 2019 "Plant America" Grant. They are in the process of establishing a pollinator garden.
A core group
planned the project.
Club member admires the plants
as they start to bloom.
Pollinators have already
found the garden!!
The City of Elgin provided some plants and the club purchased the rest.
Members of the Might Acorns Club of a local school helped with the planting.
Anna-Jo Garden Club's "Plant America" Project
In 2017 several community members, the Anna-Jo Garden Club, and the Shawnee Development Council Food Pantry headed by Paula Stairs established the Union County Gardens. The mission was to create both a space to cultivate food and to foster a sense of community through gardening for The Shawnee Development Council Food Pantry members and the community at large. The Shawnee Development Council Food Pantry distributes food to 300 community members a week and an additional 150 seniors rely on the food pantry to help supplement their food deficit.
The gardens began with the building of five raised beds, a total of approximately 350 sq. ft. garden space. That year, 2017, the gardens along with the Anna Farmer’s Market Vendors, donated a total of 2500 pounds of produce to the Shawnee Development Food Pantry.
In 2018 the Anna-Jo Garden Club received a “Plant America” Community Project Grant through the National Garden Clubs, Inc. for the Union County Gardens. This grant provided the gardens with funds to purchase tools, a storage shed, composter and materials to double garden size with an additional five beds. In 2018 a total of 2,000 pounds of food was donated.
The next phase will include raising funds to add a permanent fence and gate and construction of raised beds around the fence for flowers and herbs.
Their FaceBook page is Union County Garden: sharing knowledge, food, and friendship.
"That which you give to another will become your own sustenance; if you light a lamp for another, your own way will be lit."
~Nichiren
Naperville Garden Club's Cup of Cheer
and House Walk
Cup of Cheer is Naperville Garden Club's major fundraiser. 2018 Marked their 57th annual event. In addition to enjoying a warm cup of tea or coffee in a china cup they take home as well as delicious cookies baked by club members and touring wonderfully decorated homes, A "Holiday Boutique" is also available to attendees. The picture at the left shows a club member preparing items for the boutique. Picture on the right shows attendees enjoying the "Cup of Cheer."
The majority of the proceeds fund scholarships, but they also use proceeds to fund Arbor Day tree donations, garden therapy activities, and other GCI projects. Between 1993 and 2018, they gave $297,000 in scholarships.
Their members are currently planning for the 2022 event. Check back on this website's event details page and our GardenGlories magazine for this year's registration.
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Antioch Garden Club
The Antioch Garden Club is very active in the beautification of their community. They maintain several gardens as well as a Blue Star Memorial Marker. They even know how to get the village to install running water for some of their gardens!!
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Darien Garden Club
The Darien Garden Clubs received a first-place award from Central Region for a youth project with early education students from First Friends Christian Preschool in Bolingbrook, IL. They used "The Saved Seed" as a focus for this project.
Member Chris Bosacki developed activities for each day of the month of October. Activities were planned to align with Illinois early Learning and Development Standards and included hands-on activities, puzzles, games and art projects. Chris took the pictures shown here.
Photos were posted on a bulletin board at the school for parents and visitors to see along with a photo of the book used. Information was also posted on social media.
Anna-Jo Garden Club
Receives a
"Plant America" Grant
