A new project of the Stickney Township Office on Aging hopes to get local seniors outside to enjoy the warm weather and involved in a project that will benefit some of area’s needy.

As one of six senior centers in the western suburbs involved in Share the Harvest, Stickney Township has devoted outdoor space at its center to a garden, the produce from which will go to support two local food pantries. Seniors began work on the garden last week, planting seeds for summer squash, tomatoes, beans, green peppers, chard, onions, basil, cucumbers, eggplants and mint. Marigolds and dahlias also were in the mix.

Pat Plegge, supervisor at the Louis S. Viverito Senior Center, 7745 S. Leamington Ave., Burbank, said the wide variety of fruits and vegetables will help the less fortunate attain a healthier diet.

“We’re looking to feed the homeless; that’s what we’re hoping to do,” Plegge said. “We’re hoping to feed those who don’t normally have access to fresh produce. It’ll be giving them healthy food and nourishment.”

Stickney Township has partnered with Grace Seeds Ministry of Chicago on the community garden, the bounty from which will go to pantries at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Burbank and Oak Lawn Community Church in Oak Lawn.

Linda Wygant, creator of Share the Harvest, said the growing need for fresh vegetables in one’s diet is part of the reason she created the project. She said the project will not be possible without the help of local seniors.

“It really is a team effort,” Wygant said. “Teamwork is at the heart of this whole mission. It’s not a one-person process.”

While the majority of volunteers with the garden have been Burbank residents so far, the township is seeking Stickney seniors or other area residents to lend their time and efforts to the space.

A team of seniors already have planted a number of seeds into a special type of hybrid compost, which ensures the best growth and requires watering only twice a week. Others are needed to maintain plantings in the garden and water them during the hot summer months, and pick the vegetables on a weekly basis.

Shirley McVane, a Burbank resident, said reaping the garden’s harvests will give her personal satisfaction.

“I think (the garden) is a good thing,” McVane said. “It is a nice project, and I think the community understands that the senior citizens are trying to do something for someone other than themselves.”