Garden bounty feeds healthcare heroes

A blooming backyard garden in Fort Salonga has helped raise money to feed healthcare workers.

Kristin and Barney Fortunato, who have 16 raised garden beds with 700 square feet of growing space in their backyard, organized a huge plant sale and donated the nearly $700 in proceeds towards meals for healthcare workers.

The couple donated the funds to Callie and Tim Brennan, owners of the Crazy Beans restaurant in the Stony Brook Village Center, and the Brennans used the money to assist their ongoing efforts to deliver lunches to workers at Stony Brook Hospital.

“I love gardening. I love the feeling of my hands in the dirt, the ability to provide healthy food to my family and friends and community,” said Kristin Fortunato, a teacher in the Huntington School District. “I was able to both share my passion for gardening and healthy living with the community, while doing good and giving back to front line workers in the hospital. It was a win-win.”