Re: Request for feedback - garden programs for homeless people

**"Cynthia Price" s*@gmail.com**

Grand Rapids (Michigan) has one garden, the Heartside Peace Garden,
that's in a neighborhood where most of the people are homeless, and
it's run by someone who's homeless, for the benefit of others who are
homeless. The individual who runs it is the chair of our community
gardens committee and is on our board. (Can tell you more off-list if
you're interested.) He's very reliable and dedicated, and a very good
thinker in terms of organizational rules and policy. This may not be
exactly the model you're looking for since it wasn't started by an
outside organization, but actually it functions somewhat that way.

The garden is quite informal in a lot of ways, but I know he has a lot
of problems with people hanging out there and drinking, as well as
with people who start something and don't finish it. However,
everything's pretty cool and what gets grown gets grown. This
individual also eats ONLY locally-grown food and eats a lot from his
garden plot -- I believe he shares his overages with other homeless
people -- a lot of the time he seems to survive on Jerusalem
artichokes during the winter (tho he gets items like kale to
overwinter).

There's also a related non-profit called The Hard Times Cafe, but I
don't know a great deal about it. It seems to serve meals once a week
at least partially sourced from the garden when possible.

If anyone is interested I can get you contact information.

Cynthia Price
Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council

On 4/17/06, Jim Call <jimcall@casagarden.com> wrote:
> Don, as you, I am interested in finding out if there are any "successful"
> gardening programs working with the homeless. I know there are many CGs (I'm
> optimistic here) who donate their surplus harvest to food banks and
> shelters. I'm not aware of one whose operation comes primarily from the
> homeless... with it understood that a non-profit or some other entity
> overseeing their efforts. I believe there was one such operation in
> California that helped the homeless via gardening.
>
> This is a link I found while cruising to a Homeless Project conducted by a
> Jewish organization but its vague at best and looks like it never got off
> the ground ...
>
> http://www.hillel.org/Hillel/exchange.nsf/4631b84b253300e4852568da00675ff6/5
> FBF0F751723C86185256958006578F0?OpenDocument
>
> We do not have a big homeless populaton here in Huntsville as the big
> (really big) cities.  We do have shelters for them and I inquired once about
> the possibility of creating a garden for them at their premises if it could
> be planted and maintained by the shelter's occupants.  I was told by a
> person who works in the community with the homeless that it would not work
> because it wouldn't be maintained properly.  I'm not an authoritarian on the
> homeless so I have to rely on others experiences (for now).
>
> Jim
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: community_garden-admin@mallorn.com
> [c*@mallorn.com]On Behalf Of Don Boekelheide
> Sent: Monday, April 17, 2006 12:25 PM
> To: community_garden@mallorn.com
> Subject: [cg] Request for feedback - garden programs for homeless people
>
>
> Hi, all,
>
> Hope you are all doing well - we are hoping for rain
> today, it has been very dry here (and warm).
>
> Question: Is anyone on this list involved in a
> community gardening program targeting homeless people?
> Can you tell me where you are and how your program
> works? Alternatively, does anyone know of any
> community gardening or greening programs with a strong
> element addressing the needs of homeless people?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Don Boekelheide
> Urban Ministry Center
> Charlotte, NC
>
>
> ______________________________________________________
> The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's
> services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find
> out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org
>
>
> To post an e-mail to the list:  community_garden@mallorn.com
>
> To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription:
> https://secure.mallorn.com/mailman/listinfo/community_garden
>
> --
> Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 267.15.2/252 - Release Date: 2/6/2006
>
> --
> Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 267.15.2/252 - Release Date: 2/6/2006
>
>
> ______________________________________________________
> The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's
> services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find
> out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org
>
>
> To post an e-mail to the list:  community_garden@mallorn.com
>
> To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription:
> https://secure.mallorn.com/mailman/listinfo/community_garden

______________________________________________________
The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org

To post an e-mail to the list:  community_garden@mallorn.com

To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription:  https://secure.mallorn.com/mailman/listinfo/community_garden