Operation Vege Garden
Every year, Australians are invited to make a difference to the lives of those less fortunate. The annual ADRA Appeal helps people overseas, and in Australia. Candice Jaques reports on how one innovative project is using donations to help people help themselves.
Commencing in July in the northern states of Australia, and continuing through October in southern states, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency’s (ADRA) doorknock appeal annually raises funds for community projects in Australia and overseas.
In Australia, ADRA Appeal donations go toward establishing projects such as community centres, refuges, indigenous development and youth-in-crisis intervention.
One innovative project is Operation Vege Garden, which uses vegetable and flower gardens to meet the needs of underprivileged households in northern New South Wales.
In 2004, volunteers from the Kingscliff Adventist Community church distributed Christmas hampers to the residents of Banora Point Caravan Park, most of whom receive little or no income. Following that, the volunteers commenced a weekly “bread run,” collecting surplus bread from local bakeries and distributing it to the caravan park residents.
Through this ongoing relationship with the residents, the Kingscliff volunteers realised that simply giving food away does not help people out of poverty in the long-term. They decided to do something for the residents that would empower them to help themselves. In consultation with the park management and residents, Operation Vege Garden was established in November 2005.
The gardens were built and installed in one day by volunteers and the caravan park residents. The aim of the gardens is twofold: the vegetable gardens provide opportunity for the residents to grow some of their own food and also make an income with surplus produce, and flower gardens beautify the area and give the residents a sense of pride in their community.
There are 48 gardens, clustered in groups of 12 around the park. Most of the gardens have been planted near the cabins and caravans for household use and there is one community garden and one herb garden.
As well as help from volunteers and residents, Operation Vege Garden utilised support from local businesses such as Boyd’s Bay Garden World (which supplied soil at a heavily reduced price and donated plants), Bunnings Warehouse (which donated garden tools and hoses) and Tugun Hire (which provided a handoperated front loader for moving soil).
The timber needed for the garden-bed frames was purchased with an allocation of ADRA Appeal donations.
Installing the gardens was hard work, but both volunteers and residents pitched in. Moving the solid, wooden frames into place was difficult and shovelling the dirt into place was exhausting, but there was a good team spirit and everyone enjoyed working together. The residents showed their appreciation to the volunteers by putting on a BBQ lunch and later giving them an indigenous painting and a carved boomerang. The residents are thankful for the support and they continue to care for the gardens.
Operation Vege Garden has not only provided opportunity for the caravan park residents to grow their own food, but it has also allowed them the chance to engage in meaningful activity and make a significant contribution to their own community, which has lifted their sense of personal worth and community pride.
Operation Vege Garden is just one example of the numerous ways donations from the annual ADRA Appeal are utilised to help people help themselves. As volunteer collectors come to your door this year, please consider how you can partner with ADRA to really make a difference.
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