Donate extra veggies to Giving Garden

No matter how far ahead gardeners plan, they always seem to wind up with too many vegetables.

That's perfect for area food pantries -- they're usually running short on supplies throughout the summer.

Gardeners who are swimming in squash and up to their chins in corn can help their neighbors by delivering that surplus to one of the 56 area food pantries participating in this year's Daily Herald Giving Garden campaign. The program urges people to help channel fresh fruits and vegetables to the less fortunate in the community.

This year's goal is to collect 75,000 pounds of produce.

Area drop-off sites include:

DuPage County

Downers Grove -- Chicagoland Gardening magazine, 501 Rogers St., Suite 1F; (630) 963-8010; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Lisle -- Lisle Township, 4711 Indiana Ave.; (630) 968-2087; 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays

Naperville -- The Growing Place Nursery, 25W471 Plank Road; (630) 355-4000; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 9 a.m. to noon Fridays. (Donations made here are then delivered to one of the participating pantries.)

Naperville -- Loaves and Fishes Community Pantry, 556 W. Fifth Ave. (at Mill Street); (630) 355-3663; 9 a.m. to noon Mondays through Fridays; noon to 2 p.m. Sundays

Kane County

Aurora -- Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry (Hesed House), 659 S. River St.; (630) 897-2127; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays

Aurora -- The Growing Place Nursery, 2000 Montgomery Road; (630) 820-8088; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 9 a.m. to noon Fridays.