The Dinner Garden: Seeds of Empowerment

Gardening began as a hobby for Holly Hirshberg, an activity to do with her children, but in 2008 Hirshberg's husband lost his job.  This put her in problem-solving mode.  Her home garden significantly alleviated the burden of food costs.  Why not grow the idea?  She founded The Dinner Garden which provides enough seeds to feed a family of four.  Tens of thousands of families across the U.S. have benefited already.  The Dinner Garden has also provided seeds for more than 100 community gardens.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that in 2009, almost 15% of American households were hungry or "food insecure" during some point that year. "Food insecure" means all household members did not always have access to enough food for an active, healthy life.

"When you're having trouble or struggling, you have so many things to worry about. How are you going to pay your mortgage? How are you going to afford your medicine ... your kids? If you know you have food, you don't have to worry."  -Hirshberg to CNN

The Dinner Garden partners with food banks and businesses across the country including Catholic Charities, World Food Garden, Seeds for Food, the Wyoming Food Bank, the San Antonio Food Bank, The Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Club, The Peterson Garden Project, The San Antonio Community Gardeners, and The Salvation Army.

Holly Hirshberg and her nonprofit have been featured on CNN Heroes.