DelVal's Charitable Garden Gets $12K Donation

The United Way of Bucks County has donated $12,000 to Hope of the Harvest, a charitable garden that uses Delaware Valley University’s land to grow food for people in need.

The funding, which was raised by the United Way’s 2015 Bucks Knocks Out Hunger event, will help cover costs for the garden’s 2016 growing season, college officials said.

United Way of Bucks County President and CEO Jamie Haddon ’95 presented the check to DelVal’s Interim Dean of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Dr. Christopher Tipping.

“The United Way of Bucks County has really helped DelVal move the charitable garden forward,” said Dr. Tipping. “It has been a great relationship. The United Way’s support has helped us to produce more pounds of food for people in need. They have also helped with logistics and community awareness of the garden.”

Hope of the Harvest is a partnership between DelVal, Philabundance, the Bucks County Opportunity Council, The United Way of Bucks County, The Land O’Lakes Foundation, The Reinvestment Fund and The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation/ Pharo Family Fund.

The project uses DelVal land to grow fresh, nutritious food for area food pantries. It was started in 2012 with one acre on DelVal’s main campus in Doylestown and has expanded to include more land, according to information from the University.

During the first year, the project produced about 16,000 pounds of produce for people in need in the area. The project now produces more than 60,000 pounds of produce per growing season, University officials said.

(Contributed photo)