Northbrook Residents Grow Hundreds Of Pounds Of Produce For Food Pantry

Covenant Living gardeners donate fresh vegetables each week to help Northfield Township families facing food insecurity.

By Eric DeGrechie, Patch Staff

Jul 30, 2026 9:08 AM CDT

Residents are using the garden's 57 raised beds to grow hundreds of pounds of fresh produce for the Northfield Township Food Pantry, which serves approximately 800 households each month. (Covenant Living of Northbrook)

NORTHBROOK, IL — A community garden at Covenant Living of Northbrook is producing more than flowers and vegetables this summer.

Residents are using the garden's 57 raised beds to grow hundreds of pounds of fresh produce for the Northfield Township Food Pantry, which serves approximately 800 households each month.

Every Tuesday during the growing season, a volunteer from Covenant Living's garden committee delivers boxes of freshly harvested vegetables to the pantry. Donations commonly include zucchini, squash, lettuce, tomatoes, green beans, beets and other seasonal produce.

"Each person with a raised bed really grows whatever they want, either flowers or vegetables," Garden Committee Chairperson Hal Jenkins said. "Those with vegetable gardens often find they have much more produce than they can personally use, so the excess is collected and donated to the food pantry."

Fresh Food In High Demand

Food pantries often receive shelf-stable products, while fresh fruits and vegetables can be more difficult to obtain.

"Fresh produce is often difficult to get at food pantries, so when the residents from Covenant Living of Northbrook bring it to us each week, our clients are always so happy to receive it," pantry coordinator Julie Schaeffer said.

"Their generosity is truly appreciated."

Residents have been donating their surplus produce for about 16 years, Jenkins said.

"It's surprising how quickly it all adds up," he said. "We've been doing this for about 16 years, and it amounts to roughly 500 to 600 pounds of vegetables each year."

Donations generally run from July through September, providing pantry clients with a seasonal supply of locally grown vegetables.

"This is one meaningful way our residents can give back and help families who may struggle to keep fresh food on the table," Jenkins said.

Covenant Living of Northbrook is a nonprofit continuing-care retirement community at 2625 Techny Road. More information is available at covlivingnorthbrook.org.