Christina’s House grows food
A few years ago, Rachel’s Table was approached by Christina’s House, a home and program for women and children in transition, to ask if they could be a recipient agency for RT food deliveries. We agreed, of course. At the time, Christina’s House was not, and to date is still not, a member of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, which made our deliveries and our relationship that much more impactful. And now, families at Christina’s House are learning how to grow their own food and make healthy meals from their own backyard thanks to RT’s Growing Gardens.
Over the years, Rachel’s Table has nourished Christina’s House through the delivery of thousands of pounds of via our rescue and purchase initiatives like our healthy snack, Kalicka shelf-stable milk, Daydie’s Thanksgiving turkeys and more. As a first year Growing Gardens cohort, Christina’s House — along with RT liaisons, staff, and our partners from Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) — young children and their mothers are learning so much more than growing food – they are learning how to connect with pride to their accomplishments as the food they grow nourishes much more than their bodies.
This fall, Carolyn Martinez, the new Director of Christina’s House, will speak at the upcoming RT Volunteer Appreciation Event. Her first-hand knowledge of the intimate partnership between Rachel’s Table and Christina’s House will help us all remember why we are here – to support youth and families to live healthy lives through good food and good connections.