CALDWELL, ID — In the heart of Caldwell, a community produce stand is making a significant impact by providing free food for neighbors and those in need.
- Dawn Worley has been restocking the stand from her own garden for over 2 years.
- The share stand will expand in the near future so more of the community can benefit from it.
- You can visit the Share Stand's Facebook page to stay updated.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
A stand in the midst of Caldwell is making a positive impact in the neighborhood.
I had the opportunity to meet Dawn Worley, the creator of the shared stand that has been feeding those that come by for over two years now.
"It's been an amazing movement this year. I can't tell you how many amazing stories we've heard," said Worley
Stories of community members living off of the shared stand and thanking her for helping them get by.
"It is completely open to the public. It's anonymous as far as coming and getting the produce and it varies from whatever we have in our gardens," Worley said.
According to the Idaho Food Bank, 220,990 people in Idaho are food insecure, with14.5% being the insecurity rate for children. In Canyon County alone, nearly 27,000 people are food insecure.
The Shared Stand started as a way to share excess produce from Worley's garden, but it has now grown to attract numerous gardeners wanting to help and many people, including the elderly, come to get what they need.
After work, Worley see's what is left from the stand and works on her garden to find what else she can offer.
Then, she posts an updated picture of the stand to the Share Stand Facebook page. The page has grown over the months, with many people thanking her and others wanting to help out as well.
"Somebody shared a picture of some squash they have taken and prepared a meal and it warms my heart," Worley said. "I've sat and watched out my window, just to kind of see after we posted and it's like people immediately are like 'okay let's go over there'."
She tells me everyone is respectful and just takes a little bit so everyone else can enjoy.
But locals aren't the only ones enjoying the produce — animals are, too.
"A lot of things if they are looking shabby and I wouldn't eat them myself, I give them to the wildlife around here like squirrels or birds or our chickens, so everyone gets a little bit of something," Worley said.
With each passing season, she observes the growth of the stand and plans to expand it so that more community members can benefit from it.
"I expect my next couple months to be very, very busy," Worley said.
But this small detail will forever stay in it — "Somebody left us a rock and that's kind of their contribution to the stand and that's where the rock remains," Worley said.