A team of employees from AFL
Global out of Spartanburg, South Carolina spent their afternoon pulling weeds,
spreading mulch, sowing seeds and planning herbs as part of a community project
that has been a part of their community for the past 23 years
Founded in 1990, the Greer Soup
Kitchen was developed to help reduce hunger in the Greer community. In its
first year, the Greer Soup Kitchen served over 6,000 meals, with over 1,000
individuals, businesses, churches and civic organizations volunteering or
donating to the organization. Aside from two part-time employees, the Greer
Soup Kitchen is fully-operated by volunteers and is open every day of the year.
The
garden, which was constructed eight years ago, is usually maintained by various
volunteer groups each planting season. With the help of ACT (AFL Community
Team) volunteers, the garden was refurbished and, in time, will provide the
kitchen with fresh vegetables and herbs year-round.
After five hours of hard
work, AFL associates were able to transform the overgrown garden into a utopia
for vegetables and herbs. Sweet potatoes, onions, peppers, cucumbers, cabbage,
squash, basil, parsley, thyme and much more were planted in over 20 raised
garden beds. New irrigation systems were also installed and the entire area was
cleared of debris and weeds.
To further support the
nonprofit organization, AFL volunteers presented a $1,500 grant made possible
by AFL’s Community Outreach Program.
“The Greer Soup Kitchen has a
huge impact on our community. It provides a hot meal to those who need it most
while bringing community members together under a great cause,” said Corie
Culp, community relations manager for AFL. “Our volunteers were excited about
working in the garden and having the opportunity to support the organization
and their endeavors. In fact, some of our volunteers intend to return to
continue cultivating the garden.”