Updated Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. -----

A pilot program on Madison's east side is trying to bring together students and people in need. And as NBC 15's Michelle Riell reports, the program comes at a time when the Goodman Community Center is seeing more people using its food pantry.

Megan Cain is the pilot program manager. She says, "When we started, we started from the beginning there was nothing planted here." Now, this 5 acre plot behind Kennedy School is a viable vegetable garden. The summer gardening pilot program is a collaboration between East High School, Community GroundWorks at Troy Gardens and the Goodman Community Center. Cain says, "We're working on educating the kids on what the plants look like, how to grow them, how to take care of them."

The kids helped plant the seeds at the end of the semester and are now seeing the vegetables of their labor. Ellen Voker, a sophomore at East, says, "We watered some of the flowers and crops and then we harvest some kale, lettuce and other vegetables." They then boxed up their produce and took it to the Goodman Community Center.

From the garden to the pantry shelves, this fresh produce is here to help meet a growing demand. Helen Hazelmare, the food pantry coordinator, says, "Sometimes we hang on by a thread. Last year a big month for us would be over 500 people and now a regular month for us is over 1,000."

A tremendous number of people relying on the food pantry at the Goodman Community Center, making donations like this even more important. Hazelmare says, "This is like a dream come true and the fact that students are doing this is absolutely fantastic."

Kitty King, a teacher at East and volunteer with the program, says, "Our hope is to not only provide vocational experience to students this summer, but also to give them an opportunity to donate something and give something back to the community." Voker adds, "It lets us know that our hard work is not going to waste and we're helping."

Students and teachers with the program are planning to take fresh produce once a week to the Goodman Community Center.

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Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009 --- 12:30 p.m.

A group of students and teachers are planting, growing and harvesting produce that they are donating to the Goodman Community Center to help them meet a demand that has doubled since last year.

We talked with students and the Goodman Community Center about this partnership and the growing demand they're facing.

Students say they are proud of what they are doing and glad they can help local families and their neighbors who are struggling to put food on the table.

The Goodman Community Center says this is a very helpful program and a great way to give families the fresh produce they need for a well balanced meal.

Watch for the complete story tonight at 4,5, and 6.