Angel Land Food Forest, a 501(c)(3) charity founded in 2017, continues to grow Englewood’s future. On Sunday morning, August 17, board members English Jan, Gela Gallant, and Joe Rispoli, and a team of volunteers gave away fifty-seven 7-gallon grafted mango trees to local residents, surpassing the promised 50. Happy residents picked up trees to plant in their yards here in Englewood.
The nonprofit began with a mission of food redistribution, collecting and sharing groceries with pantries and hubs throughout Englewood. In 2021, they added a second branch: offering free mango trees to residents. To date, including this latest giveaway, the organization has provided 306 mango trees sourced from nurseries across Florida.
Sunday’s event was made possible by the generosity of local partners and friends. Angel Land Food Forest extends heartfelt thanks to Elijah of FruitScapes, LLC for supplying the trees, Kathleen Callahan of Xpertech Auto Repair for offering her parking lot for the distribution, and the volunteers who kept the morning running smoothly: Francesca Ledesma Wyman, Michael, Angelika Gallant, Karen Kelley, and Robbin Havens.
All efforts are carried out by unpaid volunteers, with support from community donors. Anyone wishing to help grow a greener, more nourished Englewood can donate by calling 941-909-0500 or visiting AngelLandFoodForest.org.
