Smiley’s Garden Angels Celebrates 25 Years, Hosts Fundraiser
Smiley’s Garden Angels is celebrating 25 years of providing hunger relief to the greater Fort Wayne community. Founder Ephraim Smiley and his son Chris operate their farm at Fellowship Missionary Church on Tillman Road, where the church has provided land free of charge for the community garden and has helped care for crops. Reporting has described the Tillman Road site as a large urban farm, with about 17 acres next to the church being tended with community volunteers, and with produce grown using organic practices.
Annually, they grow over 3,000 pounds of produce, including squash, melons, tomatoes, potatoes, leafy greens, peas, beans, peppers, and more. After harvest, the food is donated to Miss Virginia’s Food Pantry, Vincent Village House, The League For The Blind, Martin Luther King Jr. Montessori, Turner Chapel Church, Fellowship Church, and the Community Harvest Food Bank.
The organization’s public information also emphasizes hands on community involvement. Smiley’s Garden Angels invites volunteers to help with planting, weeding, harvesting, mowing, and other farm work, and notes that appointments can be made for visits outside normal times. The group also encourages visitors to pick enough produce to share with others.
Smiley’s Garden Angels has also worked alongside the Human Agricultural Cooperative, which has described a shared goal of building a sustainable farming and vocational training model that serves Fort Wayne, including youth mentoring connected to farm work and healthy eating.
To mark the milestone, Smiley’s Garden Angels will hold a celebration and fundraiser on Tuesday, March 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Seitz Conference Center in Andorfer Commons at Indiana Tech, 1600 E. Washington Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN 46803. There will be a presentation, dinner, and a DJ.
Tickets are $17.85 and can be purchased at eventbrite.com/e/smileys-garden-angels-25th-year-celebration-tickets-1980359511609. If you are unable to attend and would like to make a donation, you can donate to the GoFundMe at gofund.me/5db1abbe7.
Funds raised will help Smiley’s Garden Angels make necessary repairs to equipment and purchase supplies for their 2026 season and beyond.
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