Farm and garden tour raises $3,500 to fight food insecurity
The 2021 Cape Farm and Garden Tour held June 5 raised $3,500 from ticket sales.
Proceeds will go to five organizations helping to address food insecurity in Milford, Milton, Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. The venue owners who came together to produce this benefit included Marie Mayor of Lavender Fields at Warrington Manor LLC, Osamu and Holly Shimizu with a private garden in Lewes, and Michael and Elisabeth Zajic of Mill Pond Garden Inc.
The tour was a happy success much enjoyed by the many visitors, who expressed delight and appreciation.
Organizer Michael Zajic said, “Each of the participants feels that everything that draws attention to this need in the community deserves all the awareness and help it can get.”
Organizations that received funds are the Food Bank of Delaware, Milton Community Food Pantry, Meals on Wheels Lewes-Rehoboth, Cape Henlopen Food Basket and St. Peter’s Heart and Soul Ministry. The tour partners hope others are inspired to help, since hunger never takes a vacation. These and several other wonderful local organizations staffed by dedicated volunteers serve local people who are hungry.
Everyone knows families and workers who lost income during the pandemic and have suffered hunger, anxiety, insecurity about rent, mortgage, bills and, worst of all, food. The community has a number of social services to help with these issues. Much of the help comes from private, nonprofit charitable organizations comprising neighbors helping neighbors.
Holly Shimizu said, “We may try to repeat the benefit event for fall color time with special demonstrations like distillation, herbs and possibly other processes of gardens and farms, to help meet the continuing needs of our neighbors.”
The Cape Farm and Garden Tour partners wish to thank John Saltiel, a local resident, for devoting a huge amount of time for web development and management of the ticketing with his outstanding computer skills. Tour partners also thank the 250 wonderful people who bought tickets to enjoy a delightful day of farm and garden sights, and to help their neighbors generously.
Marie Mayor said, “We give a big thank you to the community for its support for this event.”
