Garden of Health grows into expanded space

On Wednesday, July 1, Garden of Health Inc. Food Bank signed the lease to move into its new 1,700-square foot home at the Lansdale Business Center.

“The food bank has been looking for space to move operations out of their founder’s garage for the past couple of years and with the increased demand for food assistance due to

COVID-19, the need for real operations space couldn’t wait any longer,” Garden of Health said in a release.

“It’s amazing how long we were able to operate out of my living room table, but with the pandemic, we just can’t continue the way we were,” commented Carol Bauer, Garden of Health’s founder.

In what the release said was an overdue expansion, Bauer explained the opportunities this new space will provide the growing food bank.

“Our growth was stifled. Now we have the means to expand, host regular volunteer hours, food drives, and store donations from food manufacturer that we couldn’t before,” she said.

Plans for the new space include refrigerated storage, set hours for volunteers, a food donation drop off box and meeting space. Garden of Health Inc’s new home is at Lansdale Business

Center at 650 North Cannon Avenue in Lansdale — a mixed use warehouse facility, that will provide improved safety protocols for food delivery and distribution.

In May, Lansdale Business Center donated temporary space for the food bank to store a 27-pallet donation of gluten-free food from Schär USA.

“We are so grateful to have found a community partner in Lansdale Business

Center who has helped us make this dream a reality,” Bauer said.

In 2019 Garden of Health distributed over 85,000 pounds of produce and in 2020 has already hit 55,000 pounds.

Bauer said the organization plans to begin offering new opportunities for clients and the community focused on nutrition, education and gardening. A grand-opening and ribbon cutting ceremony is being planned for August.

As an allergen-friendly food bank, Garden of Health Inc. sources food specifically for families and individuals with celiac disease and other dietary restrictions – an underserved population at food pantries. Since the onset of COVID-19, in addition to the over 25 food pantries Garden of Health Inc. delivers to, they are also supplying food to the Emmanuel EC Church of Souderton’s meal program, Bean Bag Food Program’s weekly meal program, Montgomery County Anti-Hunger Network, Montgomery County Senior Adult Activities Center homeless meal program and over 100 private clients in need of special dietary foods.