Homeless grow large garden for food in Atlanta

How one organization tries to help the homeless

Homeless people come together and plant a garden to provide food for a shelter in Atlanta.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Anita Beaty, executive director of Metro Atlanta Task Force told Atlanta Progressive News, "It is important to share and train residents in green technology that we are involved in because poor and homeless people are being left out of the green development that we see burgeoning in our community."

The organization offers several programs to homeless and formerly homeless people. Its growing gardening initiative is only one program the Metro Atlanta Task Force (MATF) offers. MATF also offers a 24-hour assistance hot-line, day service center and a transitional housing program.

The rooftop garden was established in 2009 and served as a teaching tool for homeless people who learned about urban food production and sustainable technologies.

Board member Carl Hartrampf said, "The idea is to produce enough to feed the residents something green and healthy daily."

Shelter residents are responsible for 80 garden beds where they grow carrots, kale, squash and several other vegetables. The first harvest yielded 55 pounds of produce.

Each day the organization offers full meals that use freshly picked produce. Beaty reports, "Everything we do here involves residents. They get job training and every job is preparation for a job outside."

Their website shows how the organization also offers an emergency overflow shelter and resident volunteer programs.

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