IGH Gardens

Farmer Charles, a USAF veteran, experienced homelessness upon returning to Riverside, CA. After living with his aunt and paying rent to various individuals, he found refuge at 'Hope Again' in Hollywood, CA, where he discovered his talent for gardening. In June 2014, after another bout of homelessness, the VA homeless program placed him at the Salvation Army Bell Shelter, where he began IGH gardens on a small plot of land. The garden, initially subsidized by his social security, now produces over 3,900 lbs of vegetables annually and has expanded to a larger location.

The garden focuses on producing healthy vegetables such as peppers, summer and winter squash, kale, chard, melon, zucchini, beets, eggplants, cabbage, green beans, okra, spinach, collard greens, turnips, and bananas. The produce is grown with the intent to support homeless shelters, emphasizing the importance of providing nutritious food to those in need.

IGH gardens is now a non-profit organization dedicated to becoming a 'teaching garden' and continues to donate its produce to homeless shelters, particularly those serving women and children in the metro Los Angeles area. The garden's expansion has been supported by various organizations, including the Feel Good Salsa company of Long Beach.