On a frigid January evening, while winter weather disrupted travel across much of the country, the warmth inside St. James Episcopal Church told a different story. Nearly 100 people, including volunteers, gathered for the Albion Community Gardens annual Chili Dinner Fundraiser, filling the parish hall with conversation, laughter, and the comforting aroma of simmering chili.
The fundraiser took place Friday evening, January 23, drawing a steady crowd throughout the two-hour window from 5 to 7 p.m. Guests were offered a choice of traditional chili, spicy hot chili, venison chili, or vegan chili, along with salad, beverages, and dessert. Takeout meals were also available, allowing people to support the gardens even if weather conditions kept them from staying long.
The chili dinner took place on a night of extreme cold in Calhoun County, when county government offices and courts were closed, and residents were advised to limit travel due to dangerous weather conditions.
Despite the cold, the event was a success. According to Thom Wilch, faculty director of Albion College’s Center for Sustainability and the Environment, the dinner raised more than $750 to support Albion Community Gardens’ ongoing operations.
The chili dinner went forward even as a nationwide winter storm forced schedule changes elsewhere in the community. In Albion, the Bohm Theatre postponed its Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation, originally scheduled for Monday, January 26, 2026, due to travel difficulties for the featured speaker. Albion College officials later noted that the event would be rescheduled when students had returned to campus and could fully participate. Earlier that same week, a separate community MLK celebration at Opportunity High School was well attended — an event Mayor Victoria Garcia Snyder referenced during a recent City Council meeting.
Against that backdrop, the Albion Community Gardens chili dinner offered something steady and familiar: neighbors showing up for one another.
Albion Community Gardens is a volunteer-driven organization focused on growing fresh, locally produced food while strengthening community connections. Over the years, the gardens have become part of a broader local food network, working with partner organizations to ensure that produce reaches residents across the community.
Among those partners are the Community Table of Albion, which helps distribute garden produce through local food access programs, and the Forks Senior Center, which assists with sharing fresh vegetables with seniors. Harvests are also made available through a roadside produce table and directly to community garden participants.
In previous growing seasons, Albion Community Gardens has distributed more than 2,000 pounds of food, including a substantial late-season harvest of green tomatoes that were shared widely through community food channels. Organizers say those numbers reflect not only productive garden plots, but also the strength of the volunteer base that supports planting, tending, and harvesting throughout the year.
A key partner in that effort is the Albion College Center for Sustainability and the Environment, which supports the gardens through student involvement, seedling production, and ongoing care during the growing season. Albion College students help start seedlings in the spring and assist with garden maintenance, connecting academic learning with hands-on community service.
Wilch noted that the chili dinner also highlighted the long-standing relationship between Albion Community Gardens and Albion College. For several years, CSE interns have spent their summers working alongside residents at the community garden and student farm to grow healthy food. Several of those students — including former interns — returned Friday evening to help with the dinner.
Their presence, Wilch said, reflects how much students value building relationships with Albion residents through meaningful, hands-on work that supports food security and community well-being.
Recently, Wilch was appointed to both the Albion District Library Board and the Planning Commission, further formalizing a role he has played for years in bridging campus and community through public service.
For many attendees, however, the chili dinner itself was the point. The evening offered a chance to slow down, share a meal, and reconnect during a season when outdoor gardening feels far away. Organizers emphasized that the event was as much about community as it was about fundraising.
Fresh, locally grown food offers clear health benefits, but those involved with Albion Community Gardens often point to the social impact as well. Gardening alongside neighbors reduces isolation, builds shared responsibility, and fosters a sense of pride and connection.
As planning begins for the upcoming growing season, Albion Community Gardens organizers are looking ahead to spring meetings and volunteer opportunities. More details about production totals, partner roles, and ways to get involved are expected to be shared on the group’s Facebook page in the coming months.
Even in the coldest part of winter, the message from the chili dinner was clear: Albion’s commitment to growing food — and community — remains strong.
