When Mac and Wendy Wilson pull up in their truck, they’re always greeted by the smiling faces of our Mission kitchen staff.
For the past seven years, Mac and Wendy have made regular stops at the Mission during harvest season to deliver fresh vegetables from the Whites Creek Community Garden (WCCGarden). “This garden was born from a desire to have healthy produce available for the needy in our community,” said Mac, president of the Whites Creek Community Club and president of the Council of Community Clubs. He and his wife Wendy have managed the garden since 2014.
“It’s coming straight from their garden and into our kitchen where it will be served directly to women and children who are in need.” -Vicki Berry, Volunteer Services Coordinator
“Everything we grow, we give away,” said Mac. “Once we started the garden, we started looking at organizations we could partner with—places we knew would benefit from the items we were harvesting. The Mission’s Campus for Women & Children is relatively close to our garden, so it was one of the first places we thought of. We instantly bonded with the people we met there. It’s become a regular stop on our delivery route because we know that whatever we give to the Mission will not go to waste.”
“Mac usually calls to let us know he and Wendy are on the way,” shared Vicki Berry, Volunteer Services Coordinator. “We are so excited knowing that whatever they deliver, we will have something healthy and delicious to prepare for dinner that night. We don’t see a lot of deliveries of produce on a scale like this. Their donations are an incredible blessing to us and the people we serve.”
“It’s impressive to see this truck pull up outside of the Mission, filled to the brim with things like tomatoes, squash, corn, peppers, cucumbers, watermelon,” shared Vicki. “It’s coming straight from their garden and into our kitchen where it will be served directly to women and children who are in need.”
WCCGarden operates exclusively on donations and funding through operational grants and contributions —including funding from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA). Located on eight acres of metroowned land, WCCGarden was established in 2012 and provides produce to local organizations, including Nashville Rescue Mission. The WCCGarden has grown, donated, and delivered over 35,000 pounds of fresh produce to help those in the local community.
