HGP Trainee Edgar Rodriguez presented the following talk at the BRIDGE Foundation Launch on August 20, 2026 at the Homeless Garden Project’s Natural Bridges Farm My name is Edgar Rodriguez. Today I stand here before you to express some brief details about my life and who I am today. First and foremost, I would like to give thanks to my …
What is hope? Answer this question through the story of your life. For a long time, I thought hope was a vague, flickering feeling—something you either had or you didn’t. But through the story of my life, I discovered that hope is actually tangible. There was a time when I was trapped in a relentless cycle of ‘rock bottoms,’ ending …
Damien Camany delivered the following testimonial on January 19th, 2026 at HGP’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. I came to the Homeless Garden Project program feeling the weight of unfinished business, in wanting to tie up loose ends. Yes, I had completed rehab and its reentry services. I had spent a lot of time and energy in …
Hello everyone and thank you for coming out to the opening of the new location of the Homeless Garden Project Store! My name is David Perez and I am a paid trainee with the Homeless Garden Project’s Job Training Program. A few years ago, my life was a blur of addiction, depression, and a constant feeling of disconnect and isolation. …
Good evening everyone, My name is Kelli, and I’m a graduate of the Homeless Garden Project. Standing here tonight is something I never imagined I’d do. I’ve been an addict since my early teens, and for ten long years, I was homeless. Drugs controlled my life, and during that time, I lost almost everything — my family, my home, and …
In 1995, I was a teenager. I was homeless with my boyfriend. I was camping out at Antonelli Pond when I came across the Homeless Garden Project. There were a few employees. I went there for water. It felt like a safe place. They seemed to welcome the homeless. I remember visiting often. Later on in the years, I noticed …
On November 23, 2024, HGP hosted its annual Holiday Celebration, screening the documentary film Food, Inc. 2 and a talk by author Eric Schlosser at the 418 Project in downtown Santa Cruz. Before the event, HGP welcomed Chris Beresh and Kyle Franks to speak of their experience with the program. Below are their talks: Good evening, My name is Christopher …
Hello everyone, my name is Chris and I’m forty-seven years old. Today I’m going to tell you my story – a journey that has taken me from the depths of despair to a place of hope and gratitude. It’s a story shaped by unique experiences across different continents and cultures. I’ve had to leave out many, many details for times …
My name is Frank Daly. I’m a trainee at the Homeless Garden Project. I want to start off by thanking Darrie and all of the management for giving me the honor to talk a little bit about myself and the role I play at HGP. I was raised here, in Santa Cruz. The last 20 years of my adult life …
I left home after the tremendous family loss of my mother, and then my dog. I spent the next 5 years just running around partying, not caring about much, but I had my friends and my grandma to back me up. I was fine living on the side of the mountain year after year, all wet in the rain. But …
