Fostering connections among members of the Santa Cruz community
Not too long ago, I was in a marriage living in a home with my husband and children, and my mom lived close by. My dad died when I was twelve, and my mom and I have always been very close since then. I was married for fourteen years and have been through a lot with my husband. Addiction was …
I never guessed that when I grew up, I would actually experience homelessness. I was the picture of success at a young age, having started working at 15 and loving it. I went into banking at 19 and by 25 years old, I was a top-performing Store Manager in a Wells Fargo branch in San Jose. And then, completely shocking …
Stories from our Volunteers: 2018 Volunteer Appreciation Claire Gallegos: A Place of Power and Beauty The power and the beauty of the farm is hard to understand until you’ve walked on the soil and experienced it yourself. Both seeds and friendships are planted here and it’s an honor to be able to witness and experience them growing alongside each other. …
Good evening, everyone, and thank you so much for being here in support of the Homeless Garden Project holiday store. All of us on the Homeless Garden Project crew that have been working diligently over the past several months to create these exciting gifts are very proud of what we have to offer in our store. We hope you enjoy …
My name is Jessica and this is my truth. I always knew that my chronic homelessness had a thin line between being caused by chance and by circumstance. What started by circumstance created a pattern in my life that consisted of bad choices and hard decisions. A lot of it can also depend on your stance of whether or not …
Good morning everyone and thank you for coming out and showing your support to the Homeless Garden Project. I showed up here several months ago as a volunteer at the suggestion of my doctor. You see, I have been diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure which has taken a back seat to my Aspergillus Fungus in my lungs. I’m told to …
First off I want to thank Darrie for having me up here, and I want to thank all of you for your time. I am up here tonight to describe my life before and after I found the garden. My name is Ricky, I am a crew member and here is my story. Knowing pain for so long, you become …
Hi everyone, my name is Dianna Hope and I’m proud to be a trainee at the Homeless Garden Project! The Homeless Garden Project not only helps the homeless, but we help many community members through organizations like Hospice, and the Boys and Girls Club, not to mention the Transition Age Youth program. HGP helps our community with organic foods and …
At the Smart Solutions to Homelessness Community Recognition Reception on November 12, 2017, Robyn McKeen presented about “Coordinated Entry,” a strategic priority of our community’s All In Strategic Plan to Prevent, Reduce and Eventually End Homelessness. Homeless Garden Project staff and board members present were inspired and moved by Robyn’s presentation and so we share it with you here. Smart Path Project Spotlight Smart …
“Service is not a hierarchy but a reciprocity in which the distinctions between teacher and pupil, giver and receiver, helper and helped constantly dissolve.” –Scott London In honor of Make a Difference Week, we took time to acknowledge our extraordinary community of volunteers, and to reflect on how volunteering with HGP has made a difference in people’s lives. Becca McKnight is an invaluable …
