Due to the cruelty of the Trump Administration’s budget cuts, much of the funding for food pantries have been cut. Obviously, Jesus’ admonition to “feed the hungry” is lost to right wing “Christian” nationalists. Those of us at St. Anne’s who garden have been asked to “plant a row” specifically for our food pantry since the need will be greater this year.

We have planted a large bed of 6 Early Girl II tomatoes specifically the food pantry of Project Hope. Since the beds were installed late, I planted tomatoes that were almost three feet tall with little tomatoes and flowers! They are in red tomato cages and the bed is in the center of the garden.

I have dedicated the bed in Memory of Sr. Lorraine Menheer, whose visionary action beginning in the early 1990s formed Project Hope at St. Anne. Through the generous donation of parishioners, our House of Hope thrift store generates over a million dollars each year to help local people in need. We also have a food pantry that feeds many local families and individuals.

We will donate all the tomatoes from that bed to Project Hope as well as some of the surplus from the rest of the garden. That bed is labeled and will serve as a talking point to my grandchildren and others for us to be aware of poverty and hunger that exists even within the wealthy community of Barrington as well as throughout the world. It is our duty to feed people in need.