Students at Blessed Trinity Academy are helping stock fresh vegetables for the local St. Vincent De Paul food pantry after receiving a nearly $900 grant from Carlow University’s Sister Mary Paul Hickey Research Grant Program out of Pittsburgh last fall.
School director of admissions and marketing Meredith Kandravy was the grant procurer, expressing that students in the school’s service club worked with her to initiate the gardening project.
Boys and girls in fifth through eighth grades can enter the club, through Kandravy, who also serves as service club administrator. However, she noted that the group working on the project consisted only of girls in sixth and seventh grades.
“The girls were really excited,” she commented. “One of the big things is I wanted the girls to take ownership of the project.”
The school, Blessed Trinity Academy, is located in Shaler, across the Hampton line from St. Mary of the Assumption Church, which is part of the greater Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish. The Academy serves children in preschool through eighth grade.
Since the project is positioned on St. Mary’s property, club students formed a proposal to outline the project’s details to church administrator Father Timothy Whalen for permission.
Kandravy stated that Whalen was glad to approve the plan as it would, in part, provide fresh vegetables to the parish’s St. Vincent De Paul Food Pantry. Chris Busshaus, a member of the church’s garden committee, guided both Kandravy and the students throughout the process.
December marked the start of work on seedlings, with each grade, from preschool to eighth, assigned to grow a particular plant. Plants included peas, tomatoes, green beans, kale, spinach, carrots, watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumbers, and peppers. Other volunteers from the church assisted where possible, offsetting setbacks like a recent lack of rain, garden pests, and a particularly cold May, leading to a fruitful garden.
Kandravy, her daughter, and her daughter’s friends from Blessed Trinity continue to maintain the garden over the summer. Callie Kandravy, soon to enter eighth grade, explained, “Building the garden has been a great experience because we have really had to work together as a team. Plus we know that we are helping a lot of people who may not have the chance to have fresh vegetables.”
Classmate Cayden Ferguson added, “It is also exciting seeing the things we have planted from seeds grow and actually become vegetables plus we are able to see where our food comes from.”
President of the St. Vincent De Paul Conference, Tom Thimons, who operates and manages the pantry at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, noted the garden supports around 15 clients. “They really appreciate any fresh produce,” said Thimons, who stated these clients are served every other Thursday.
Similarly to other pantries or satellite food banks, Our Lady buys much of its food discounted from the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, though as Thimons explains, it sometimes lacks fresh produce. He went on to say, “This is a big help in terms of providing clients both from a preference and health.” However, Thimons did initially express doubts about the project.
“I give them credit,” he said, discussing the students and their work. “It turned out to be a great service project, and it benefits those in need that we service.”
Going forward, students will still work on the garden throughout the school year. As Kandravy notes, part of the project will involve putting the garden to bed in the winter to prepare it for the next planting season. Some students have even expressed interest in pickling some of the garden’s cucumbers.
The experience, Kandravy said, included lessons on both the science of botany and assisting those in need. Students also learned how to build plant beds by using tools and following instructions.
Though the primary benefit lies in helping others, the garden’s continued growth also provides the school’s cafeteria with extra produce once classes begin.
Kandravy expressed, “One of the big things is giving back to people who need it and providing fresh foods and vegetables. It’s nice to have the ability to give something that’s homegrown.”
