Community Garden for South Side Chicago

About this campaign

The Englewood neighbourhood on Chicago's South Side is a food desert — the nearest grocery store is over a mile away, and fresh produce is a luxury many families cannot afford. An abandoned 0.4-acre lot on 63rd Street has sat vacant for 12 years, attracting illegal dumping and blight.

We have secured a 20-year lease from the City of Chicago and obtained all permits. This campaign will fund soil remediation, raised garden beds, irrigation, a tool shed, and a community pavilion. Sixty families have already signed up to tend plots, and a local chef has volunteered to run monthly cooking workshops.

Produce will be available to all neighbourhood residents at no cost, with surplus donated to the local food pantry. The garden will also host after-school programmes for children.

Help us turn an eyesore into a source of pride and nourishment.