ICYM: Carson City Greenhouse Project feeds families in need thanks to Concert Under the Stars

Editor's Note: The 11th annual Concert Under the Stars, a benefit for The Greenhouse Project, is this Wednesday at Eagle Valley Golf Course in Carson City and features a legendary headliner lineup of Poco, Firefall and Pure Prairie League. This article from June highlights organizations that benefit from the concert fundraiser, including the Ron Wood Family Resource Center.

When families come to the Ron Wood Family Resource Center, they are typically in desperate conditions.
“We see 80 percent of our clients in the last couple of weeks of the month,” explained Joyce Buckingham, executive director. “They have reached the end of their SNAP benefits or their social security or other benefits.”

As an emergency food shelter — among an array of other services — the Ron Wood Family Resource Center fills in those gaps, providing food when other services have run out.

Buckingham said the food bank serves about 1,700 families each month, and recipients are particularly happy with fresh fruits and vegetables.

“They are grateful for whatever we can give them,” Buckingham said. “But anytime I can provide them with these beautiful, fresh vegetables, they are delighted.”

So far this year, the program has received more than 1,000 pounds of locally grown, fresh produce provided by the Greenhouse Project.

“It’s just amazing to be able to distribute this wonderful, nutritious produce,” Buckingham said. “For our recipients, it’s like Christmas morning. They can make fresh, healthy meals for their families.”

The Greenhouse Project provides about 2,000 pounds of fresh produce annually to service organizations throughout Carson City, including FISH, Salvation Army, Circles, Food for Thought, Meals on Wheels and Eagle Valley Children’s Home.

It’s largely funded through the annual Concert Under the Stars, which is featuring three main acts this year — Poco, Firefall and Pure Prairie League.

“I’m thrilled about this lineup,” said Karen Abowd, president and co-founder of the Greenhouse Project. “People are so excited about it. I’m getting calls as far away as British Columbia.”

Providing for the food-insecure population has been an integral part of the mission since the inception of the Greenhouse Project.

“It’s all about a healthy community,” Abowd said. “People who have less are no less deserving of nutrition. You can’t be a productive citizen if you’re not eating right.”

One woman, who stopped by recently to pick up groceries from the food bank, said she is happy to see the selection of produce offered.

“It is very nice,” she said. “I don’t, for instance, buy bell peppers from the grocery store. But I’ll grab one here. And a cucumber. I always get lettuce.”

Tickets for the Concert Under the Stars, which begins 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 10 at the Eagle Valley Golf Course, are available here at carsoncitygreenhouse.org.

VIP tickets on the green, which include dinner and are limited to 44 seats, are $175. They are only available by calling Karen Abowd at (775) 232-8626.
 Gold Circle tickets, which include reserved parking, are $75. 
Reserved tickets are $49 and standing-room only are $30.

The live auction at the Concert Under the Stars, a benefit for The Greenhouse Project, is anticipated each year and has grown to include an even greater array of experience packages and service items. For more on the auction and items available, go here.

Tents also remain available and include a catered buffet, two bottles of red wine, two bottles of white wine, beer, soda and cocktail service.

In the Photos: With the help of volunteer Minnette Schrader, Steve Urrutia picks up food at the Ron Wood Family Resource Center food bank in Carson City.

If You Go
WHAT: Concert Under the Stars
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. July 10
WHERE: Eagle Valley Golf Course, 3999 Centennial Park Dr.
TICKETS: carsoncitygreenhouse.org