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Unity Gardens tells council it distributed more than 500,000 pounds of food in 2025, asks for operational support
Summary
Unity Gardens Director Sarah Stewart told the council the nonprofit doubled its reach in 2025 — distributing over 500,000 pounds of food, operating 45 gardens and 20 urban orchards — and requested support for storage/shelter and a reliable vehicle to reduce food waste and extend distribution.
Sarah Stewart, director of Unity Gardens, presented a year-end report to the South Bend Common Council describing program growth and operational needs.
Stewart said Unity Gardens distributed more than 500,000 pounds of food in 2025 across 45 gardens and 20 urban orchards, hosted 18,000 visitors at the main site, offered 150 classes, and engaged roughly 3,000 volunteers for more than 8,000 service hours. She described a "nurture and nourish" sharing-shelf program that has scaled to accept large donations (she cited 900-pound "gaylord" deliveries), and a reentry partnership that provides paid internships and employment pathways for people returning from incarceration.
Stewart urged the council to consider modest capital and operating investments: shaded, insulated shelving or a small shelter at distribution points to reduce spoilage; a dependable vehicle to collect and distribute donated food; and volunteers to help carry items to cars for residents with mobility challenges. "If we had finances and support to create a shaded shelter, we could make that last an entire week and allow people to access the food that's right there," Stewart said.
Council members thanked Stewart, described volunteer interest, and praised the organization's work connecting food access, workforce development and community-building. Several members offered to help recruit volunteers and noted the program's value to schools and seniors.
