FORKS — The Port Angeles Garden Club has donated $1,500 to Sarge’s Place’s Camp Sol Duc garden.
The check was presented March 19 to Cheri Tinker, president and executive director at Sarge’s at 250 Ash Ave., to purchase soils and garden supplies for the Forks-based emergency shelter.
Tinker is reported as saying that the club’s donation was miraculous timing, as she was placing an order for the 40 yards of soil when news of the donation reached her.
The soil will fill Camp Sol Duc’s seven 36-foot-long by 4-foot-wide by 2-foot- high raised garden beds, which are planned to bear fruits and vegetables for the 14 veterans, three children, two dogs and cats, and a turtle named Donatello housed at the shelter.
Excess food will be sold at Sarge’s farm stand. The farm stand’s construction is slated for completion sometime in May.
In addition to the raised beds, the camp houses 50 chickens and a 20-foot by 24-foot greenhouse.
In 2000, North Olympic Regional Veteran’s Housing Network was formed as a nonprofit to serve housing needs in Clallam and Jefferson counties.
During 2010, the nonprofit network was repurposed to serve homeless veterans, then opened Sarge’s in 2011.
The camp was established in 2014 when the housing network purchased a house and property across the street from Sarge’s.
Camp Sol Duc will house an eight-plex apartment building for single veterans moving out of the shelter and into permanent housing; a metalworking shop; woodworking shop; outdoor welding area; a farm stand; flower gardens as well as an expanded freestanding Sarge’s Attic that will accommodate a coffee roaster, coffee bar, loft area and retail space.
The garden club’s Community Donations Committee allots funds to area projects that assist local communities grow and thrive.
In 2017, the garden club distributed $3,900 to area organizations including The Answer for Youth Sprouting Hope Greenhouse, Clallam County Gleaners, and Northwest Raptor Center.
For more information about the garden club, visit http://www.portangeles gardenclub.org/ or attend a meeting. Meetings are at 10 a.m. every third Monday at First Presbyterian Church, 139 W. Eighth St., Port Angeles.
For more information about Sarge’s, call Tinker at 360-374-5252 or visit Facebook.
