By IU Corps
On Feb. 10th, 2024, members of IU Corps student organization, Volunteer Corps, volunteered their time at a local lettuce greenhouse. The greenhouse is owned by Lauren McCalister and her family. This locally-owned greenhouse provides space to grow lettuce sold at the People’s Cooperative Market of Bloomington. People’s Cooperative Market, a community-driven market for the people, provides an intersection of anti-racism and food justice while cultivating liberation and equity to ensure access to local food, art, and education.
Volunteer Corps members worked together to disassemble and move the greenhouse from its off-site location to First United Church to increase accessibility to the garden and to enable future expansion. Sophomore Joey Rotelli, Volunteer Corps member, explained the process of dismantling and what he thought of the experience.
“Going in, we weren’t entirely sure what to expect. A few of us thought we would be constructing the greenhouse but instead we were taking it apart,” Rotelli said. “My favorite part was the manual labor aspect of it. After unloading everything at the church, we went into the market and got food [from the market] which was fun. It was a nice way to wrap up that event.”
The local farmers were very hospitable towards the volunteers, especially those who own the greenhouse. Sophomore Kat Jolley, Volunteer Corps member, admired the farmer’s kindness and explained how the Volunteer Corps will continue to help them.
“It’s definitely a big deal for them to have to move their greenhouse and stop their operations while in the process of moving it, but it was fun to get to know Lauren and spend time with them because they are all great people,” Jolley said. “It’s super rewarding that they will be closer to where they need to be. Moving is also going to help them expand and help more people. They are still in the process of rebuilding the greenhouse so [Volunteer Corps] will help them with that too.”
People’s Cooperative Market is led and directed by farmers, vendors, and people from marginalized communities and serves community members in Bloomington and the surrounding Monroe County area in Indiana. Some items currently available for sale at the market are eggs, produce like Lauren’s lettuce and so much more, meat, chai teas, tamales, bread and baked goods. The market is held every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at First United Church in Bloomington, IN and offers online ordering with delivery services.
Volunteer Corps will help further rebuild the greenhouse at the church this weekend as part of their Little Day of Service event. Join Volunteer Corps today on beINvolved to register and participate in this weekend’s Little Day of Service events.
Leave a Reply