Raising People Out of the Ground or Dirt—Like Growing Flowers

Mary, a trainee at the Homeless Garden Project
“I love this place”

Q. When were you with HGP?  In what capacity did you work at HGP?

A. I started about five months ago as a trainee.

Q. What are you doing now?  How did you get there from HGP (if relevant)? How did HGP impact where you are now?

Right now I’m looking for a place to live because we got evicted. When I started here I hadn’t worked in four years and I lived on the street. I wasn’t confident at all. Now I’m gaining confidence and I am becoming a reliable person thanks to the community and skills that are taught at the HGP. I love this place a lot.

Q. How would you describe how HGP has fulfilled its original vision? What work do you think still lies ahead for HGP?

A. I think the HGP goals are about raising people out of the ground or dirt—like growing flowers. They really do an excellent job of accomplishing this. It’s great they work with people who need help in life; they really help people get what they need.

Q. Do you have a favorite memory of the HGP that you would like to share? Please take as much space as you need to communicate your story.

A. Planting Dahlia’s was just plain awesome. I didn’t know what to expect when we planted them, but everyone was excited about how beautiful they would be. It was really rewarding to work with Robert, Amanda, and Robin because we didn’t know what we were doing so we learned together. And now look at them! The Dahlia’s are beautiful!