The Gardens at St. Thomas
In addition to the pantry, a major part of our mission at St. Thomas revolves around our two gardens. The Giving Garden contributes thousands of pounds of produce to the food pantry every year and is managed by Marsha Kaufman. The Jean Krulis Teaching Garden is a community garden with beds available for our neighbors and the newest addition to our campus.
Our Mission...
Access to fresh, nutritious foods and the tools to grow them remain a challenge in our neighborhood.
Every child of God should have enough to eat, and the Giving Garden and Jean Krulis Teaching Garden work within St. Thomas’ mission to combat food insecurity by providing neighbors with seasonal produce at the food pantry and the opportunity to have agency and involvement in the gardening process. The Giving Garden and Jean Krulis Teaching Garden provide the space and resources for our community to be nourished socially and physically and to connect with the abundance of God’s creation by cultivating relationships with each other, our food, and the earth.
The Giving Garden at St. Thomas
The Giving Garden contains 16 oversized raised beds and 28 new box beds in which we grow fresh organic produce. All of the produce is distributed each week at our Food of Life Food Pantry. Lack of access and inability to afford fresh produce is a real issue for our food pantry neighbors. It is our belief and hope that sharing fresh produce with our neighbors will go a long way in improving the health and quality of life of folks in our community.
​The Giving Garden was made possible by generous gifts from The Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust, The Claire Friedlander Family Foundation, The Marcia Brady Tucker Foundation, Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley Farm Fresh Food Program, and Millbrook Garden Club.
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The Giving Garden is managed by our master gardener, Marsha Kaufman, a dedicated and gifted community member with help from many volunteers.
The Jean Krulis Teaching Garden
The Jean Krulis Teaching Garden sits in a very visible but previously underused area of the St. Thomas campus right next to the Harvest House. Jean Krulis was the driving force behind the creation of the gardening projects at St. Thomas. Established in her memory, the Jean Krulis Teaching Garden will reinforce our commitment to our mission by bringing our community closer to the source of their food, providing them with the tools and skills they need to grow their own, and will also serve as a peaceful area for rest and reflection.​
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Members of the community are encouraged to grow food in the garden and can reserve a plot by reaching out below.
​The Jean Krulis Teaching Garden will provide space for:
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A large pick-your-own garden with a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers selected by our neighbors and always available
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Community beds for our neighbors to grow their own food
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A comfortable and welcoming social space
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Access to materials (buckets, soil, seeds/seedlings) so that our neighbors can continue growing at home
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Low-literacy signage in English and Spanish to ensure equitable access for everyone
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Community classes and seminars related to home gardening, preparing the food we grow, composting, and other relevant topics