Brandon Foster Mom Creates Garden To Help Fight Child Hunger

In Tampa Bay, where one in four children face hunger, a Brandon foster mom took action by starting a backyard garden. This straightforward solution addresses a serious problem directly.

Last spring, Lynette Crawford and her husband turned their yard into a productive food garden. Their raised beds now overflow with cabbage, spinach, spicy jalapenos, fresh zucchini, and crunchy snap peas, feeding both their family and foster children.

“We wanted to explore — and growing and nurturing something that the kids would enjoy, the family would enjoy, and we would all benefit from having something grown in the backyard that we can watch grow, and then we can pick it, and we can enjoy the fruits of our nature here," Crawford said to ABC action news.

At the Children's Home Network, home to 200 kids, food remains a pressing concern. Paul Penhale of the Network notes that when kids hide food, it shows they've struggled to get enough to eat in the past.

Research shows that foster children who've experienced hunger often hide food away. This behavior comes from times when they weren't sure where their next meal would come from.

To help change this pattern, Crawford keeps her kitchen fully stocked. Her thinking? When kids see plenty of food available, they worry less about going hungry.

Feeding Tampa Bay's numbers show many kids aren't getting enough nutrition. Foster kids, moving between different homes, face even bigger hurdles.

The Children's Home Network works hard to get more kids into family homes instead of facilities. They understand how important a stable home life can be.

Crawford's garden project shows what can work. Beyond just growing food, it helps build trust as everyone works together in the garden.

Child welfare experts keep a close eye on these food programs. What they learn helps them find better ways to support kids new to the system.

As the garden reaches one year, other Tampa Bay foster families want to try the same thing. These small changes keep making a bigger difference.