Submitted photo

4-Hers prepare the Helping Hands Community Garden.

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Thanks to support provided by a donor to the NC 4-H Development Fund, members of the Stokes County 4-H Youth Council recently began preparing the Helping Hands Community Garden for another round of fall vegetable production.

Stokes 4-H was one of ten 4-H programs across North Carolina selected to receive a $500 grant distributed as part of the Hungry to Help Initiative. Hungry to Help aims to shine a light on the pervasive problem of hunger in North Carolina. Toward that end, partners NC 4-H Youth Development and the Food Banks of North Carolina encourage local 4-H programs to engage in projects that will raise awareness and take steps to alleviate hunger in the communities where they live.

Last week, Stokes 4-H Youth Council members Killian Davis, Charity Hampton, Issac Hampton, Autumn Blakemore and Elizabeth Byers removed weeds, filled raised beds with garden soil and planted a variety of fall crops. The harvested produce will be distributed to hungry students in Stokes County along with canned and dry goods through the Stokes Food Pantry operated by Communities in Schools of Forsyth County’s Stokes County office.

The Helping Hands Community Garden is a donation and teaching garden operated by Communities in Schools, South Stokes High School Horticulture Department and the Stokes County Cooperative Extension office. Stokes Cooperative Extension Horticulture Agent Randy Fulk coordinates food production and educational activities in the garden.