Fostering connections among members of the Santa Cruz community
My name is Ali. My favorite flower, Shepherd’s Purse, is a weed. You can find an abundant amount of it in the cracks in the sidewalks along the streets and even next to the highway. It is strong and delicate with roots that can survive and help to heal dying soil. it has small heart-shape seeds that contain properties that …
Shannon spoke at our Sustain Farm Supper on June 10, 2017 to over 200 people. Good evening. My name is Shannon McGurk and I am a trainee at the Homeless Garden Project. This experience has been a genuine blessing in so many ways during a particularly transformative part of my life. From a very conservative Roman Catholic upbringing as the …
One goal of our community education and volunteer programs is to create the Inclusion in our vision statement: We envision a thriving and inclusive community, workforce and local food system. A recent study performed by UCSC researchers, Heather E. Bullock, Shirley V. Truong, and Lina Chhun was published in the Journal of Poverty. You can read Combatting Social Exclusion: “Safe Space” and the Dynamics of …
Hello and welcome to our farm and garden. My name is April Wilson and I am blessed and honored to be here. I am a trainee here at Homeless Garden Project. I’ll begin with a testimony about myself and what gravitated me to this ever-giving garden. I’m a local—born and raised here. I’m 35 years old and single. I was …
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 …
“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 …
