One of the best things about the profusion in recent years of community gardens in Suffolk is the “community” aspect of those gardens. The idea behind them is that the produce grown in them is to be shared with the people involved and with others in the area.

A Chuckatuck church has taken the concept to a new level, having set up a trailer in its parking lot with a sign offering free vegetables to any and all passersby.

Members of Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church planted their community garden about six weeks ago. Today, they are harvesting fresh corn, squash, tomatoes, green peppers and other vegetables as a result of the work they put into planting. But the twist is in their decision to offer the fruits of that labor free to anyone who needs it.

In conjunction with a “Blessing Box” the church erected in its parking lot — containing canned goods and household supplies — the effort represents a true blessing to the Chuckatuck community.

“I hope that by giving these away and putting stuff in the blessings box, they’ll feel that God is here,” church member Brenda Bradshaw said last week. “It takes people to do it with their own hands, and that’s what we have here.”

The effort seems to have been a hit with the community, as the church members have even supplemented the garden’s bounty with store-bought produce — and all of it has been taken for use in homes around the area.

“We simply can’t grow it fast enough, but I’m more than happy to buy it and just give it away,” member and senior trustee Drexel Bradshaw told a reporter.

Scripture tells us “It is better to give than to receive.”

The members of Wesley Chapel UMC are demonstrating that principal in a great way. Chuckatuck is truly blessed to have such an example of selfless giving.