One year ago Robin Cleland began growing potted plants on her back porch.

“We grew tomatoes and lettuce and a few other plants,” Cleland said.

This year Cleland and members of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Calhoun grew 4,000 plants in a green house belonging to a church member.

“We are worried about food security,” Cleland said.

Cleland was referring to the more than 6,000 Gordon County residents who do not have enough resources to provide adequate food for each family member.

“There is a great deal of hungry people in this county,” she said. “That’s what we’re working for. We are interested in getting people fed.”

The group Garden for Good is a ministry of St. Timothy’s that provides potted plants to families in need to help them maintain a self-sustaining form of food.

Last week Garden for Good donated hundreds of plants to Tallatoona Community Action Partnership clients. The group donated tomatoes, herbs, zucchini, eggplant and other fruits and vegetables.

“This is something that is really going to help the clients,” said Eleaine Thompson, case manager with Tallatoona.

On Saturday the group hosted a plant sale to recoup some of the costs and continue their efforts.

“This is low investment in terms of cost,” Cleland said. “The actual cost is of labor.”

She said that members of the church, along with volunteers had spent many hours working to plant and maintain the plants.

“This has been a learn-while-doing project,” she said. “But, if you don’t start somewhere, nothing happens.”

Cleland said the Garden for Good ministry mirrors a national trend toward growing food.

“Growing food on a manageable scare is a growing trend. Anything we can do to facilitate that, we will do,” Cleland said.

Cleland said Garden for Good has big dreams of expanding the program, but the overall concept is simple

“How can we love our neighbors as ourselves if we aren’t feeding them?” Cleland asks.

The group has had a vast amount of support from the community, and Cleland said she looks forward to more support in the future.

“Calhoun is an amazing place to do this project,” she said. “People care about their neighbors.”