Every summer for past nine years, a group of green-thumbed volunteers has been dedicating their time and love for gardening to help out Bramptonians in need.

The community vegetable garden at the Flower City Seniors Centre has been supporting food banks and soup kitchens across the city with several types of fresh veggies and herbs for years.

“Wednesday is the day that we pick all the produce and it goes to the food banks and the soup kitchens. We’ve got seven food banks and two soup kitchens,” said lead volunteer and organizer, Gwen Fawthrop, adding the group harvests veggies all season long.

In addition to the core group of volunteers who oversee the garden, students, missionaries from the Church of Latter-day Saints and a group of inmates from the Vanier Centre for Women also lend a helping hand.

The group started out nine years ago at a location on Mississauga Road and moved one more time before the city offered up the 10,000 square-foot space at the senior’s centre six years ago.

While the city provides the space, the garden is entirely dependent on seed donations and volunteer labour.

Fawthrop said they’re always in need of more volunteers. Anyone interested in helping out can stop by the garden near the lawn bowling club at the community centre each Wednesday afternoon for more information or to sign up.

She said volunteers of all abilities and gardening experience are welcome, adding the time commitment is roughly an hour or two per week during the growing season.

“There are lots of different jobs that we need help with even if someone is (physically) unable to garden. Everyone is welcome.”