Joyce Uptown Plant Shelf?

A few years ago I had to stop a shopper who had taken one of the many houseplants we have here at Joyce Uptown Foodshelf. I let her know that those are for the foodshelf space, but she asked for a cutting to start a plant at her house. In the time since that interaction, we have replayed the same conversation over and over with shoppers. We realized that most people who cannot afford food for their familes, are unlikely to be able to purchase plants for their homes. Our staff are all plant and food lovers, and we wanted to make sure homes are filled with food and houseplants!

Here is what we are looking for…

Rooted cuttings: Ideally we are looking for easy to grow and maintain plants such as pothos, philodendron, spider plants, monstera, etc. These plants can be donated in small glass jars, such as the Oui brand yogurt jars, or any small clear jar you have laying around the house. Once received here, we will give them some time in a sunny window to take root if needed, and then get them to the more than 800 families we serve every month.

Potted plants: We are looking for small (4-10” pots) houseplants that are in soil. If you are thinning your collection of plants, we would love to have them. These should be in a pot, plastic is fine, with fresh soil.

Small Glass Jars: You gotta have jars to propagate.

Please remember, we are a foodshelf, not a garden center, so we don’t have resources or time to do major repotting, pruning, or care. We are hoping to serve as a distribution point for these plants. Please don’t donate anything you wouldn’t hand off to a friend, and please… no fake plants.

Plant donations can be made on Fridays between 9 and 2pm. Be in touch if you have any questions.

Here is a good primer on plant propigation for those of you who are interested.