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From our Maryville garden to the community

ByNelia Bernabe

Photo credit: Carmen Gonzalez

The garden on Maryville’s Des Plaines campus continues to thrive and make a meaningful impact in our community. When the Jen School, now the Charles H. Walsh Sr. Academy and Career Tech High School in Niles, was located on the campus, students and staff began cultivating the garden and caring for its produce each year.

Today, a dedicated new garden team carries that legacy forward, nurturing the garden with care and purpose. Throughout this growing season, the team has supplied four local food pantries with fresh, nutritious produce ranging from asparagus to zucchini.

So far this year, the garden has produced about 1,566 pounds of fruits and vegetables, all donated to food pantries serving an increasing number of families in need.

Partner Pantries:

  • Northwest Compass, Inc. – 1300 W. Northwest Hwy., Mount Prospect, IL 60056
  • Maine Township Food Pantry – 1700 Ballard Road, Park Ridge, IL 60068
  • Wheeling Township Food Pantry – 1616 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60004
  • Food for Greater Elgin, Inc. – 1553 Commerce Drive, Elgin, IL 60123

We are deeply grateful to the garden team leaders for their dedication and compassion:

  • Carmen Gonzalez, Maryville facilities maintenance manager, who tends the garden, supervises volunteers while continuing to serve Maryville through her maintenance and landscaping work.
  • Dwayne Anderson, master gardener, North Cook Unit, University of Illinois Extension.
  • Alison Beucler, former Jen School faculty member and continuing friend of Maryville’s children.

A heartfelt thank you to Carmen, Dwayne, Alison and all our volunteers for their commitment.

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