UPEI plants St. Dunstan’s Gardens in support of Soup for the Soul
Green thumbs from across the UPEI campus recently came together to plant St. Dunstan’s Gardens. Vegetables grown in the gardens will be used by the Soup for the Soul project, which provides free healthy soup once a month as an outreach of the UPEI Chaplaincy Centre.
St. Dunstan’s Gardens are planted at two locations: the south side of the UPEI Chaplaincy Centre and at The Mount Continuing Care Community adjacent to UPEI. The gardens are made possible by a wellness grant from the Prince Edward Island Department of Health and Wellness, as an initiative of the PEI Wellness Strategy. They are also supported by Vesey’s Seeds, the Cooper Institute, Van Kampen’s Greenhouse and The Mount Continuing Care Community.
“It's a wonderful way to be a part of campus life, it’s a wonderful way to be a part of student life, and also network with the community outside,” said Sister Sue Kidd in an interview with the CBC.
“We have access to food, but sometimes it’s not high quality food. It’s not highly nutritious food,” said Rosana Queiroz, a student involved in the project. “It’s important to have the students involved in vegetables, which are high in vitamins and minerals. So they can have access to nutritious food.”
Food grown in St. Dunstan’s Gardens will be harvested this fall and used by students and volunteers at UPEI to prepare the soups. “It is so exciting to see the dream of having students plant, harvest, and prepare vegetables for the Soup program come to life. Equally exciting is the discussions among faculty from Foods and Nutrition, Education, and Environmental Studies of how they plan to use these gardens and vegetables in their teaching,” said Dr. Colleen Walton, an assistant professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences.
The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact, and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and St. Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.
