April 25, 2014
April 25, 2014
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Contact: Scott Bird
Moxley Carmichael
865-544-0088
[email protected]
A $5,000 donation from Home Federal Bank is helping the YMCA expand its Community Giving Garden program to the Cansler Family YMCA on Jessamine Street in East Knoxville.
YMCA of East Tennessee President and CEO Jim Dickson (back row, from left) and Home Federal Bank Executive Vice President Debra Smith and President and CEO Dale Keasling celebrate the launch of the Cansler Family YMCA’s Community Giving Garden along with (front row, from left) Mack Smith, Zaffar Castaneda, Awan Castaneda, Ian Smith, Tori Smith, Abby Smith and Nathan Smith. Home Federal Bank’s donation is helping to expand the Y’s Community Giving Garden to Cansler following a successful start at the Davis Family Y.
The Community Giving Garden program, started in 2012 at the Davis Family YMCA in West Knoxville, provides fruits and vegetables to families who otherwise might not be able to afford them. The garden is operated on land provided by the Y and tended by staff members, volunteers and children involved in the Y’s after-school programs. Harvests are then provided to the underserved in our community, primarily through local food pantries.
A dedication ceremony held at the Cansler Family YMCA on April 18 included Home Federal Bank President and CEO Dale Keasling and Executive Vice President Debra Smith; YMCA of East Tennessee President and CEO Jim Dickson; the children who helped plant the seeds for the gardens; Ellen Morar, who manages the Davis Y garden; and Jasmin Cage, who will oversee the Cansler Y garden. Child watch coordinator Mary Brown will work with children to tend the Cansler Y garden and ensure a bountiful harvest.
“Home Federal Bank is pleased to support the YMCA Community Giving Garden,” said Keasling. “In addition to providing nutritious food to families who need it, the program teaches young people how to raise a garden and the importance of giving back to the community.”
The impact of donations made through the gardens can be significant. The Davis Y garden produced 1,048 heads of lettuce and more than 1,000 pounds of cucumbers, tomatoes, garlic and other produce last year. “Fresh produce can cost up to 30 percent more in East Knoxville than in West Knoxville, which makes the Cansler Y Community Giving Garden all the more important,” said YMCA of East Tennessee President and CEO Jim Dickson.
The YMCA of East Tennessee plans to establish additional garden programs as funding permits.
About Home Federal Bank of Tennessee
Home Federal Bank of Tennessee is a locally owned, full-service bank serving East Tennesseans through branches in Knox, Anderson, Blount and Sevier counties. Every quarter since 1991, the bank has earned a 5-Star Superior rating – the highest possible – by independent authority BauerFinancial. For more information, visit http://www.homefederalbanktn.com.
