Growing More Than Food: Oak Cliff Garden Campaign

For 51 years, David's Chapel Missionary Baptist Church has been rooted in the heart of Oak Cliff, watching over families in ZIP code 75232, where 1 in 5 households struggles below the poverty line. Today, we're planting seeds of transformation that will feed bodies, strengthen community, and nurture hope for over 500 families living in a federally declared food desert. The Planted Hope Community Garden is the cornerstone of our ambitious 9-acre Community Infusion Project. Your $5,000 investment will transform a vacant lot into a thriving 15-bed community garden that produces thousands of pounds of fresh vegetables annually, creates opportunities for teaching regenerative agriculture, and empowers our neighbors to control their own food security. 

Ms. Dorothy Jenkins, a 67-year-old grandmother raising three grandchildren, walks 1.2 miles to reach the nearest grocery store because there's no reliable public transportation. When she gets there, a bag of fresh spinach costs $3.99, money she needs for her grandchildren's school supplies. Like 2,331 other households in our ZIP code, she relies on SNAP benefits that barely stretch to cover nutritious food for growing children.

"I want my babies to eat vegetables, but when you're choosing between rent and fresh food, the choice gets made for you."

Planting season waits for no one. Spring preparation must begin by February for the Image Captionsummer harvest. Construction needs completion before Dallas's punishing summer heat arrives. Every day we delay means families miss another season of fresh, affordable produce grown in their own neighborhood.