AS MANY residents continue to tighten their belt due to the increasing cost of living, the Leeton Salvation Army's community garden is a haven of help.
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The project has been in operation for many years, but the organisation is hoping it will continue to grow and flourish.
The garden is a hive of plantings for veggies, fruits and herbs, but it has become somewhat rundown.
The Leeton Salvation Army said anyone was welcome to head along and assist in getting it up-to-scratch and contribute to the space leaning into its potential.
Leeton Salvation Army Auxiliary Lieutenant Lesley Burke said there was room for improvements and capacity to grow.
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"We've had to replace some of the boxes where we grow things, but it's such an adaptable space ... we grow so many things here that we hand out to people in need or the items become part of our community lunch program," she said.
"We do have other donations from supermarkets in town that assist with this, but the garden is one way we can help others without much cost.
"People are welcome to come in and chat to us about the garden and if they want to help out with it.
"We've also got chickens here laying eggs.
"It's a lovely place to come sit and have a coffee as well. We just want to let the community know it's here and they can come use the space."
Mrs Burke said community gardens were an idea growing in popularity, particularly as tough times continued on.
She said there were many residents and families struggling at the moment.
"We have our pantry that is also open to people who can come in and pay $5 where they will receive a big bag of essential items, $10 will usually get you two bags ... it all helps those who need it most," Mrs Burke said.
"There's also our kids kitchen program which runs every Monday night where we teach children basic cooking skills.
"We've been getting around 20 kids to that every week. We know everyone is struggling at the moment, so we just try to do what we can to help.
"We're always open to ideas and suggestions."
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