The College of Charleston’s Student Garden at Stono Preserve recently donated its fall harvest to local homeless shelter One80 Place.

Students gathered at the College’s student garden located on the 881-acre Stono Preserve in Meggett, South Carolina, on Sunday, Nov. 17, to collect the garden’s produce, including peppers, Sea Island red peas, tomatoes, eggplants, okra, radishes, herbs and greens. The student garden is managed and operated by the Graduate Program in Environmental and Sustainability StudiesSustainable Agriculture Program.

Representatives from the agricultural groups Fresh Future Farms and The Green Heart Project joined students and staff for the harvest to further the student garden’s community partnerships and spoke on their efforts to end homelessness and food insecurity while harnessing education, engagement and empowerment within the community.

“We have been sporadically donating to One80 Place for the past two years, but are hoping to strengthen our partnerships by dedicating beds to provide produce specifically for On80 Place,” says Lucy Davis ’18 (M.S.), program coordinator for the Graduate Program in Environmental and Sustainability Studies. “One80 Place serves over 250,000 meals a year and all of the food they receive is donated to them. We are happy to help contribute and build strength within in our community by closing food insecurity gaps one person at a time.”