When faced with a challenge our team tackles it and with a smile. A big thank you to our two NGL teams who volunteered to beautify the St. Vincent de Paul Service Center Campus. They worked at Lacy Garden, a 1.25 acre garden in Fitchburg that grows a variety of produce for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry.

One week a team volunteered to clean out the inside of the supply shed at Lacy Garden. They emptied the shed, removed anything not useful or needed, swept the floor and then moved useful gardening items back into the shed.

Another week we had a group clean the area around the shed by removing invasive trees, brush and planting wild flowers. It was hard work but they were up to the challenge. After learning what needed to be completed, they grabbed the hand saws and loppers, and started the beautification process!

“The NGL crew did a fine job on clearing the area of invasive trees and planting wild flowers. Both inside and outside the shed are better because the groups volunteered to make a difference,” shared Peg, Lacy Garden Volunteer Director for St. Vincent de Paul.

Their efforts to clean out the shed and maintain the area surrounding it will enhance the ability for future volunteers at Lacy Garden to find the equipment needed for gardening and producing a harvest that will feed our community.

Dane County food pantries, including the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, continue to see an increased need for services. According to a recent article, “The demand across six of Dane County’s largest food pantries has reached record highs, more than doubling over the last two years, while charitable giving has plummeted nationwide during that same time period. The 112% increase represents the average increase in the number of household visits across the six pantries between December 2021 and December 2023.”

National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) is proud to support the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in its efforts to meet a critical need in our community.