Four days ago, Darrie pulled me aside at work and gave me what felt like an impossibly hard task. I was to write my story of how I got here and how the program has benefited me, and share it with you tonight. I didn’t know where to begin. I didn’t know what to say. My story is one of …
On May 27, 2016, I was released from jail after a month of incarceration. I had only been in the car about two minutes when my case worker informed me that the Homeless Garden Project (HGP) was going to give jobs to the first 20 people that showed up to their main office; my first inclination was “too much, too …
My name is Laurie Soderman and I became a trainee earlier this year in May. When I was asked to speak tonight, describing my experience, a quote from a song by the band Genesis came to mind. They sang: The sands of time were eroded by the river of constant change. This is a glimpse of my story of Transformation, …
Good Evening everyone. Thank you all for coming tonight. My name is Katrina Dubinsky. Everyone calls me Kat. I am a very fortunate volunteer at Homeless Garden Project and I’m grateful Darrie asked me to speak tonight. I am especially pleased to speak on something that involves promise, hope, solutions and humanity. I have much to tell about my experience …
Hello everyone, I’d like to thank everybody for coming out to visit our farm. “Our farm.” It’s funny when I say “our farm.” I think of all the numerous people that have come here whether it to be a volunteer, donate, find some peace and quiet, or like many of us in the trainee program, to help put our lives …
A Hearty Thank You to All Our Generous Donors. You Make Our Garden Grow! Sustainer of the Garden ($25,000 and over) Quentin Hancock Newman’s Own Foundation Nurturer of the Garden ($10,000-$24,999) Patrice Boyle Helen and Will Webster Foundation Monterey Peninsula Foundation, host of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am George L. Shields Foundation, Inc. …
“I regret the times when I neglected those around me, specifically those in need of a small act of kindness or reassurance.” In all of the stories I’ve heard while volunteering for the Homeless Garden Project, this line was one of the most poignant. I’ve come to learn that taking the time to help others starts with understanding the problems …
Value in our Enterprises Value starts at our farm as trainees nurture the soil, grow vegetables and share the bounty with our community. But trainees gain valuable work skills and continue to add value from our farm to our workshop and retail store, where products are handmade and used to raise money for our projects. Farm Enterprises In 2014 we …
I write this with deepest appreciation to those at the Homeless Garden Project who touched my life with their authenticity and presence: Darrie, Angie, Jes, Naomi, Lindsay, Mike, Chris, Angela, Raven, and the many trainees, community members, and others I worked alongside in the office, workshop, retail store, and farm. I relocated to Santa Cruz in the summer of 2014 …
Relationships, engagement, accomplishment and positive emotion all play an integral part in well-being. A strength of our training program is our investment in the whole person, so that trainees can sustain their well being after graduation. This is how trainees describe the effect the Training Program has had on their lives: “Social workers, volunteers, employees, and other trainees are a …
