DARTMOUTH — Now that’s a lot of potatoes! 

Area students helped plant 700 feet of potatoes Friday, April 14 at Sharing the Harvest Community Farm at the Dartmouth YMCA.

Forty-four students, all volunteers with the United Way of Greater New Bedford’s Youth Day of Caring, also weeded and prepared a radish bed and two pollinator beds in the children’s garden that young campers will tend all summer.

“I’m studying culinary arts,” said Savannah Sousa, a junior at the New Bedford Regional Technical Vocational High School.“It’s good to see where the food we use comes from.” 

Sousa, captain of the girls’ soccer team, was one of 14 student-athletes in the fields that day. Students from Trinity Day Academy, in New Bedford, and Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps members from New Bedford High School also helped out. 

Sharing the Harvest donates all the food it grows to people in need. Its mission is to alleviate hunger in the region, while also providing agricultural education.

Through its Hunger Commission, United Way of Greater New Bedford distributes the farm’s food to 19 hunger relief organizations that serve the SouthCoast. United Way of Greater New Bedford serves New Bedford, Fairhaven, Acushnet, Dartmouth, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester, Freetown and Wareham. 

In all, 100 students volunteered for the Youth Day of Caring, helping eight organizations, including the Community Boating Center, Buttonwood Park, Buttonwood Park Zoo, Hazelwood Park, My Brother’s Keeper, West Beach and the YMCA Mattapoisett.

Other schools involved included Global Learning Charter Public School, Bishop Stang High School and Old Rochester Regional High School. 

“This day gives young people the chance to see how important it is to give back to your community,” said Victoria Grasela, VP of Marketing & Community Engagement. “They can learn at an early age how satisfying it is to volunteer, and how even the smallest contributions can make big differences.”

For more information about area volunteering opportunities, visit www.volunteersouthcoast.org.