The Marshall Public Library in Pocatello is running its “Garden to Give” campaign for the 7th summer since it began in 2019.
“Garden to Give” is a program where the MPL partners with the Idaho Foodbank to collect and accept donations of extra fruits, vegetables, herbs and more from peoples’ gardens. The surplus produce is then taken to the Idaho Foodbank and dispersed throughout the community to those in need. The idea is to minimize waste of fresh produce and give it to those who need it most.
Amy Azzouzat is the public services supervisor for the MPL. She created “Garden to Give” in 2019 after she saw that people had lots of extra food from their gardens.
“Every summer, I would see people put out vegetables on the sidewalk and put out a sign saying, ‘Free for anybody to take,’” Azzouzat said. “So, I thought, obviously there are a lot of people in that situation, so we just make it easier for them by saying, ‘If you’re coming to the library anyways, bring in your food and we will save you that extra errand, and we will get it where it needs to go.’”
The MPL has received hundreds of pounds of produce donations every year since “Garden to Give” began.
“We learn, in so many ways, what a giving community we have, and this is just another example,” Azzouzat said. “When people have something to give, and they know that somebody else in our community is in need of it, they are very generous.”
Many residents voluntarily go the extra mile just to contribute even more.
“The Foodbank is always very happy to see us, but also, I think it makes people feel good too when they drop it off and they know that it’s going to go to somebody in our community, such as our friends and neighbors, who need it,” Azzouzat said. “We’ve even had people plant extra stuff every year and add extra rows to their garden so they’re able to give a little bit more.”
The MPL will accept donations from June to October, or as long as people have food to give.
“As long as things are growing,” Azzouzat said. “As long as that lasts, as long as there’s sunshine and people are still harvesting stuff out of their garden, we will take it.”
The MPL is located at 113 South Garfield Avenue in Pocatello. For more information on the program or library hours, go to MPL’s website.