were formed . Donations of weekly produce from Locals Farm Market and Red Wiggler continue to be welcomed every week . Throughout the growing season area gardeners would leave their surplus zucchinis and tomatoes with confidence that their garden ’ s surplus would find its way to the table of a neighbor . BlackRock ’ s galleries , lobby and theaters were filled with items that volunteers collected , packaged and distributed .
As the virus lingered , the HUB continued to grow and adapt from its origins of a volunteer effort with donated foods . Volunteers became staff as the program began to take shape . Foundations invested in the model that they considered to be visionary . The items distributed grew to include COVID Kits for families coping with the virus , and diapers , wipes and formula . Seeing the effectiveness of the HUB as a model for food distribution , the County ’ s leadership embraced the program and duplicated it in seven other locations . Last fall , the HUB left BlackRock for its new home at the Upcounty Regional Center in Germantown . It now serves over 1300 families per week .
Sandy Wright , owner of Locals , and a board member of BlackRock
Food insecurity existed before the pandemic , the virus just shed a brighter light on issues of poverty .
~ grace rivera-oven
is overseeing the transition of the HUB to a permanent non-profit , attributes the success of the program to the collaboration upon which it has been built . “ The HUB was created in a time of crisis . but it allowed our community to come together in an effective way to address ongoing needs ,” says Sandy . “ We live and work in this beautiful community and we , all of us , can have a meaningful impact on the lives of our neighbors in a most important way . We can help provide the food needed . The HUB is about community coming together for community .”
Lynn Andreas Arndt is CEO of BlackRock Center for the Arts and and Grace River- Oven is Founder of The Upcounty HUB .
If interested in being part of the HUB ’ s community of supporters , please visit , www . blackrockcenter . org / upcounty-hub for volunteer opportunities and most needed items . Volunteers are needed to help package food Mondays through Fridays from 10 am to 12 pm . Drivers are needed for door-to-door delivery to local families on
Thursdays from 11:30 to 12:30 . plenty I summer growing 2022 25