Shane and Kathy Hawkins' Community Veggie Stand and cooler pictured on Wednesday, July 2, at their West Street home in Reinbeck. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

REINBECK – As operations manager for the Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District, Shane Hawkins spends a good portion of his days ensuring the district’s facilities are maintained to the best of his ability – an increasingly tall task in light of the ever-deteriorating conditions at the secondary school. So what does such a hardworking individual do in his spare time? Plant and maintain a massive community garden and vegetable stand, of course.

Shane’s green thumb, coupled with the kindness he has spread all over town, has earned him the 2025 Reinbeck Citizen Spotlight Award sponsored by the Reinbeck Development Board.

“I am not sure if I have ever met a person who is more selfless and hardworking than Shane. He is the textbook ‘give the shirt off his back to help’ kind of person,” G-R Superintendent Caleb Bonjour recently told the newspaper when asked to comment on his staff member’s award. “I feel I am often having to remind him that he needs to ensure that he is taking care of himself as he is working so hard to take care of our schools and others. Whether it be ensuring that our schools have heat, or that our Rebel community has something to eat, Shane doesn’t stop.”

Indeed, a stroll right now through Shane and his wife Kathy’s yard at 602 West Street – roughly a block west of the secondary school – is a masterclass in urban gardening with every possible square inch of space across the lot-and-a-half planted with vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers. The Hawkins’ gardens are well-maintained, beautiful to behold, and dedicated to feeding the community.

But that’s just the tip of the thumb when it comes to Shane’s kindness, as two blocks to the west at the end of Albert Street, the Hawkins also maintain an even bigger garden on a nearly half-acre allotment.

“We’ve been gardening here in Reinbeck for about 10 years, but gardening has been part of our lives since childhood,” Shane, a native of Elk Run Heights, said in an email to the newspaper mere days before Reinbeck’s July Fourth celebration in which he rode in an open-top Shriner’s convertible as part of the award. “We both grew up helping our parents in the garden, and those early lessons still shape how we grow and share today.”

After moving to Reinbeck in 2015 to be near their daughter, Shane and Kathy immediately got to work transforming their yard into a garden, hauling in vast quantities of new soil in the process. From the beginning, they were always willing to share whatever it was they produced. Their decision to sell excess produce at the local farmers market was thus a natural next step; however, things didn’t go as smoothly as they had hoped.

“After that first season, we realized that getting ready for market took us about three days each time – something we just couldn’t keep up with anymore, especially with my declining health and the joy of a new grandbaby in the family. That’s when we decided to set up a small stand at home, just to share the extra produce from our garden. We added a donation box for anyone who wanted to give.”

Shane said the inaugural season of the Community Veggie Stand was, like most things garden-related, another learning experience.

“One thing we noticed was that folks were hesitant to take vegetables that looked different than what they saw in the store,” he explained. “So in our second year, we focused on growing more familiar-looking produce while still mixing in a few unique varieties to introduce people to something new.”

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

In their third season, the Hawkins decided to add a refrigerated upright cooler.

“It was clear that in the summer heat, veggies didn’t last long … [My friend] Gary Poppen and I spent the winter building [a cooler], and now we can offer greens and other items without worrying about them wilting so quickly. It’s still a work in progress, but it has made a big difference.”

Shane said what began as an exercise in sharing has quickly become so much more as he and Kathy spend their summers providing their community with access to “fresh, healthy, garden-grown food.”

According to a Facebook page dedicated to the Veggie Stand, all freewill donations are earmarked for local needs, whether that be for someone facing a health challenge or toward funding an FFA breakfast.

“God has blessed us with an abundance of produce, and we felt called to share it with others,” the page’s description states. “We believe in the power of community, sustainability, and wholesome, delicious food. Our stand isn’t just a place to get fresh vegetables – it’s a place rooted in care, kindness, and giving back.”

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Currently, the Hawkins’ gardens have been planted with roughly 70 tomato plants including heirlooms; about 100 pepper plants including bells, no-heat jalapenos, and habaneros; two beds each of carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and potatoes; six beds of cabbage; about 150 sweet potato plants; cucumbers and several varieties of watermelons; zucchini, spaghetti squash, and eggplant; garlic, leeks, and onions; three beds of green beans; grapes, strawberries, honeyberries, gooseberries, and raspberries; plus pawpaw, apple, pear, plum, and peach trees.

It’s a smorgasbord of veg that would make any master gardener beam with pride.

“Most plants are started from seed, though this year we ordered onion, leek, and sweet potato plants online,” Shane said. “It’s Kathy, Gary (Poppen), and I doing most of the gardening, and Gary has a few kind friends who help him with bigger projects.”

Shane’s health journey

One of the factors mentioned by those who anonymously nominated Shane for the second annual Spotlight Award was his ability to forge on all while dealing with his recent health struggles.

In addition to the gardens that surround their home on Reinbeck's West Street, Shane and Kathy Hawkins also maintain extensive gardens (pictured) two blocks west on a nearly half-acre allotment at the end of Albert Street. "We bought the property so [Pete and Jean Porro] could enjoy their retirement with a little extra support, and they continued living there," Shane explained. "Sadly, we lost our friend a few years ago, and since then we’ve been slowly building up a garden on that land to help support the vegetable stand." PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

“I was born with my bowels and intestines outside of my body and was later diagnosed with Emery-Dreifuss Muscular Dystrophy,” Shane explained. “In 2021, I learned I had prostate cancer, and at the same time, my GFR levels [a measure of kidney function] dropped significantly. I’m currently on dialysis five days a week. It’s been a lot to manage. I’m on the kidney donor list at Iowa City and actively looking for a living donor.”

Despite doing everything he could over the past five years – including forgoing alcohol and meat – Shane said his kidney function has continued to decline. He began dialysis this past March. But even dialysis hasn’t stopped him from making it to the garden at some point each day.

“My days start early – between 3 and 4 a.m. – so I can work before coming home to prepare for dialysis, which takes about five hours from start to finish. That usually brings us to around 7 p.m., and then we try to get out to the garden.”

Shane said none of the garden progress this summer would be possible, however, without his friend Gary Poppen.

“[Gary] has been an incredible gift from God. He helps in countless ways, every single day. Honestly, Gary should be the one honored, not me. Kathy and Gary are the heart and strength that keep me going.”

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

The Hawkins also maintain a Facebook page dedicated to Shane’s health journey titled ‘Kidney Donor for Shane Hawkins’ in hopes of locating a living donor. On April 23, Shane wrote, “I began dialysis about a month ago, and it’s given me a whole new perspective on the strength and resilience required to do this long-term. If you’re ever in a position to help – whether it’s me or anyone in need of a transplant – I hope you’ll consider it. Iowa City even offers a kidney-paired donation program, where if you’re not a direct match, you can still donate to someone else and in return, help find a matching kidney for your intended recipient.”

According to Shane, in the United States alone there are currently over 100,000 individuals on the national transplant wait list for a deceased donor kidney; the average wait time is five to seven years.

“Receiving a kidney from a living donor is the best option,” he wrote on April 15. “Living donor kidneys typically function immediately and last longer than deceased donor kidneys. Healthy people can live with only one kidney. The transplant team will complete an extensive evaluation to make sure it is safe for the person to donate a kidney.”

For more information, including how to be evaluated as a living kidney donor, visit uiowa.donorscreen.org.

‘What matters most’

As part of his interview with the newspaper, Shane was asked to share any thoughts or comments he had about the Citizen Spotlight award. His response is printed in its entirety below.

“I’ve always believed in helping where you can, without needing recognition. I’m so grateful for the nomination, but in my heart, I believe Gary (Poppen) is truly the Citizen of the Year. He quietly helps so many people in our town every single day.”

“We love gardening and doing what we can for our community – not because we’re looking for anything in return, but because it’s the right thing to do. My biggest hope is that more people in Reinbeck feel inspired to help one another. If someone wants to add produce to the stand or share through our Facebook pages, that would be wonderful.”

“None of us knows how long we have on this earth, so let’s do our best to love and support one another. Let’s be kind. Let’s be better. And let’s leave this world a little brighter than we found it.”

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER