Local Campaign News and PAR Program Donations
Dec
RECEIVING THE PAR PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD
At the annual GWAA symposium held in Orlando, staff writer Catherine Edman of suburban Chicago's Daily Herald got a big hug from handsome Jim Wilson, PAR spokesperson, as she accepted the plaque representing the first PAR Public Service Award. The award went to The Daily Herald and Cathi for exceptional leadership in organizing a local PAR campaign.
Assigned in 1999 to run the annual campaign for the paper, by 2001 Cathi had 45 PAR drop-off points for garden produce donations organized in 31 towns covering five counties. During the gardening season the paper runs weekly PAR articles, maintains a PAR hotline, a PAR presence on their home page, and a separate PAR Web site. Cathi also coordinates with freelance garden writer GWAA's Shirley Remes to help expand the campaign into the City of Chicago.
Accepting the award, Cathi said: "None of this would have happened in my area without the inspiration and leadership of this GWAA national initiative to help the hungry. The Daily Herald loves this campaign and it's the highlight of my year." She said recently that retired garden editor Joan Jackson of the San Jose Mercury News was her inspiration and mentor on how to run a PAR campaign through a newspaper. "Newspapers are obvious potential sponsors, have a ready audience, motivation to serve the community, and the resources to reach a broad base of people. Joan paved the way. This format works!" Cathi said.
PAR GARDEN AT THE NATIONAL HERB SOCIETY HQ
GWAA members Connie White and Joanna Bristol, Director of the Herb Society of America, spearheaded the establishment of this 250-square foot PAR herb and vegetable garden at the Society's headquarters in Kirkland, OH.
The Society's head gardener, Joan De Lauro, worked with Master Gardeners, HSA members and volunteers from the community. "When they heard what we were doing we had tremendous support from local gardeners," Joanna said. "People took the idea to their own garden clubs and got them producing and making their own donations." The volunteers came every Thursday, Joanna said, in spite of rain and unusual heat. "And we had fun! Some vegetables came out looking like pieces of art -- the purple peppers were so beautiful I put one on my desk and just admired the color before sending it to the food bank." The gardeners fell in love with "all-organic, poster beautiful" heirloom tomatoes and peppers donated to the project by Johnny's Selected Seeds of Maine, and local nurseries including Mulberry Creek Herb Farm and Whalecrest Herb Farm. "The Lake County Food Bank was thrilled!
"I believe in this," one volunteer said. "We don't have to go to Africa or Afghanistan to make a difference. We can do it in our own back yard!"