The Taylorville Community Garden will increase its number of raised garden beds and the amount of fresh food it is able to provide those in need, thanks to a grant from the Taylorville Memorial Foundation.

The nonprofit foundation approved $2,314 to cover the costs of building materials for 12 raised garden beds and bed coverings.

“The raised beds will allow easier access to the produce for our volunteers and will help alleviate flooding issues after heavy rains,” said Jerry Johnson, who manages the garden with his wife, Gerlinda.

The Taylorville Community Garden is a volunteer effort spearheaded by the Johnsons and located on the grounds of Davis Memorial Christian Church, 1500 W. Franklin St. The garden is in its ninth season of operation.

The grant is provided through the foundation’s board-directed Community Health Grant Program, which launched in 2021 to assist with funding health-related projects in Christian County.

“The foundation is pleased to lend support to the Taylorville Community Garden, which supplies fresh, healthy food to families in our community,” said Raedena Ryan, the foundation’s executive director. “The mission of the community garden aligns with that of Taylorville Memorial Hospital: To improve lives and build stronger communities through better health.”

In 2021, more than 1,900 pounds of food was raised and distributed to Taylorville Food Pantry and Christian County Mental Health. The volunteers who helped tend and harvest the garden were also allowed to partake in the literal fruits of their labor.

To learn more about volunteering with the Taylorville Community Garden, contact the Johnsons through the Taylorville Community Garden page on Facebook or call 217-820-7939.

The Taylorville Memorial Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organized in 1995. The foundation accepts financial donations to help further the mission of Taylorville Memorial Hospital. For more information about the foundation or its Community Health Grant Program, visit memorial.health/tmf or call 217-707-5271.