Lessons from the Garden

We are grateful for the passion and generosity of our volunteers. Earlier this year, Mateo Robles, a student from Santa Clara University (SCU), volunteered in our garden, where we grow organic produce that we use in our meals and share with the community. Mateo described what the experience meant to him in a letter to Larry Vollman, who has been part of our garden since its inception. We have excerpted Mateo’s letter here.

The morning sun, the chirping birds, and your stories all stitched together into a rhythm … you imparted upon me a way of living, a quiet but insistent hope that felt rare.

The garden … is more than just a place where food grows. People, plants, histories, and efforts all come together there. I remember the interview we did on my last visit, where you said that the issue isn’t production but access. You pointed out that with the amount of wealth in this valley and the number of organizations working on food, such as Loaves & Fishes, it’s simply unacceptable that people still go hungry. That idea stayed with me: how you framed it not as a logistical failure, but a moral one, something disproportionate, something out of alignment with the values a free society should strive to embody.

That conversation made me think about what service really means. It’s not just giving people things for free. It’s being with them, understanding the problem from their point of view, and staying committed to solutions.

The garden taught me that civic engagement doesn’t always mean organizing a protest or writing legislation. Sometimes it means picking up a shovel, working with your hands, sweating in the sun, and knowing that this is your piece of the puzzle, and so you do it with joy and diligence.

Thank you, Mateo! And thank you to Larry, Dave Romeri, and all other supporters who have planted seeds in our garden and are committed to helping us serve, including SCU, for your partnership with our volunteer program