Growing Places Garden Project

planting growing enjoying...

teaching learning working

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December 2009

Dear Fr iends,

With food security, the economy, and health issues on the forefront of American minds, our commitment to helping people grow their own food and eat nutritiously has never been more important than it is today.

Thanks to your thoughtful and generous support in 2009, we were able to serve almost twice the number of families. At the same time, we were expanding our services and enhancing our partnerships to increase the positive impact we have in the communi-ties we serve.

Taking a huge leap forward, we:

• Built 52 gardens serving more than 128 people in 14 towns, a 93% increase over 2008

• Grew our volunteer base by 69% • Introduced an “eat right” program to build a strong foundation in nutrition, cooking, and budgeting

• Piloted our container garden program to benefit apartment dwellers and non land owners

• Forged new partnerships with several organizations who share our concerns about community, health, and nutrition

• Received an “innovation award” nomination from the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network

We are proud of what we’ve accomplished this year and are inspired by the generosity and passion of those who make it all happen. Together, we are strengthening communities and helping families to be more self sufficient, more economically sound, and healthier.

Best wishes to you and your family this holiday season. Sincerely,

• PO Box 17 • 75 Green Street • Clinton, Massachusetts 01510 • t: 978.598.3723 • www.growingplaces.org

Cindy BuhnerBoard Chair

Jodi Breidel Executive Director

Growing Places Garden Project

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“The experience of planting seeds and having them become beautiful and healthy food was an amazing revelation for me on every level. I saw how patience and hard work can bring rewards and how the life

force is both fragile and strong—but most of all, my garden gave me hope and the

sense that I can be a creator of abundance in my own life.”

Malaena NahimasGPGP Gardener 2009

Stow, MA

k ey h ighl ightsfor 2009 • Built 52 new gardens • Mentored 26 second year gardeners• Grew volunteer base by 69%• Forged new partnerships with Share our Strength’s Operation Frontline Leominster Housing Authority Twin City CDC Montachusett Opportunity Council (MOC) Maynard’s Open Table Minuteman Arc• Introduced new programs to enhance nutrition education and enable gardens to be grown in confined spaces

t h e s t a r t l i n g t r u t h …

It’s hard to believe that in a country like America, the risk of hunger is great. More than 37 million people, including 13 million children, don’t have access to enough healthy food to thrive and 37% of all households are at or below the poverty line1.

By providing raised bed gardens and nutrition education to families in need, Growing Places Garden Project with the help from volunteers, do-nors and local businesses is making a difference in Massachusetts. To date we have helped more than 678 individuals grow food and eat healthier, and we invite you to read on about GPGP’s activity in 2009.

GPGP gardens are:• Personalized for each family to accommodate dietary needs and personal preferences• Environmentally friendly and can be maintained without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides• Designed to grow enough produce for a 1- 4 person household each season and be maintained independently by the third season

o u r m i s s i o nGPGP’s mission is to improve the food security and nutrition educa-tion of people with limited economic means. GPGP does this primarily by providing gardens and education so that people can grow food on their own.

1Source: “Income, Poverty and Health Coverage in the United States:2007; U.S. Dept. of Commerce U.S. Census Bureau, August 2008

e a t i n g r i g h t …growing knowledgeable consumers In an ongoing effort to help people eat better and feel better, GPGP has partnered with Share our Strength’s Operation Frontline to provide nutrition-based cooking classes to current and prospective gardeners in the communities we serve. The 6-week, teacher-led curriculum is designed to: • promote making healthy food choices, even with limited resources• teach lifelong cooking skills, practical nutrition information, and food budgeting strategies• provide participants with groceries at the end of each class to practice the recipes they’ve learned; Thanks Hannafords!

Our first class of students told us how helpful their “hands on” experience was. Participants came away with a heightened awareness about their eating hab-its, tools and strategies for making quick healthy meals, and a renewed appreciation for connecting with their families at meal times.

Through the help of our community partner, Cleg-horn Community Center, each session included an interpreter to accommodate multilingual families.

We look forward to rolling this program out to more families in 2010. At last count, we already had 17 people on the waiting list for the next session!

v i s i b l e s u c c e s s !growing food in “tight” places …container gardening For some time, GPGP has wanted to bring gardening to apartment dwellers or to those with little access to land. Thanks to Connie Grabowy, GPGP volunteer and Board Trustee through 2009 and the Leominster Housing Authority, we were able to pilot a program in 2009.

There were eight participating individuals who were provided with three containers each and despite a challenging growing season,

gardeners were able to harvest lettuce, toma-toes, chard, peppers, cucumbers, pole beans, and basil. The learnings from the pilot highlight some of the challenges of gardening in a con-fined space, such as the need for additional fertil-izer, more frequent watering, and the loss of soil nutrients. Modifications to the program will be made before a more broad rollout in 2010.

rebuilding neighborhoods...through community gardens

This year GPGP partnered with Twin City Community Development Corporation (CDC) to establish a community garden in a troubled neighborhood in downtown Fitchburg.

To prepare for the garden, Twin City CDC’s Community Organizing Director, David Thibault-Munoz, worked with residents in the Elm Street area to develop bylaws, recruit gardeners, and generate a renewed sense of pride and ownership in the neighborhood. Fitch-burg residents worked side-by-side to prepare the land by cutting down trees, mowing the grass, removing the brush, and getting local officials and businesses to assist in their efforts. On the day of the installation, a group of nearly 25 people consisting of GPGP vol-unteers, CDC staff, neighborhood residents, and local officials came together to build the garden and demonstrate their commitment to building a better community one neighborhood at a time.

The Twin City CDC has already added a composting bin and plans are in place to expand the garden in 2010 and secure grant funding for an onsite shed.

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reaching the kids. . .foundations that support a healthy life

Final plans for an After School Program are in place and we’re excited to extend nutrition education and cooking experiences to a wide range of children through the schools in our service area. The program will introduce children to more nutritious eating and show them how to make easy, nutritious meals. GPGP will work with the children and their families to offer complimentary garden programs.

On October 18, 250 friends, neighbors and business partners gathered to celebrate food, nourishment, knowledge, giving, and community for an evening of fun at The Strand Theatre in Clinton MA. This year’s event featured a delicious, locally grown meal, and a showing of the critically acclaimed film Food Inc., a documentary on some shocking truths about our food supply.

We enjoyed hearty fall soups, delicious salads and warm apple crisp. All ingredients for the meal were generously donated by local farms and businesses in-cluding: Gibbet Hill Grill, Tailgaters Grille, Applefield Farm, Carlson Orchards, Nashoba Brook Bakery, Berlin Orchards, Bolton Orchards, and Dharma Harvest.

our first “fun raiser”

harvest celebration during a fall nor’easter

v i s i b l e s u c c e s s !

fun, fun, fun when the planting is done...

our gardeners …survey results from gardeners

We reached out to the gardeners we worked with in 2008 and asked them to share their thoughts on their gardening experience.

Overall, the gardeners fed their households and many shared their excess produce with neighbors and friends. The process of garden-ing was rewarding and many reported that they spent more time outdoors, ate healthier, and got more exercise as a result.

our volunteers ...survey results from our volunteers

Our extended family of volunteers is an incredibly loyal and growing group that we literally could not do without. To date, we have more than 230 volunteers who come together each year to build the gardens and sow new seeds of growth in the community.

The vast majority of our volunteers (83%) help us build the gardens but there are a growing number of volunteers who help with a variety of other responsibilities that include grant writing, mentorships/team leaders, nutrition education, and general administration.

• % of volunteers that had a positive or very positive experience with GPGP 97% • % of volunteers that plan to volunteer again 94%

f e e d b a c k f r o m . . .

“My son and I had such a wonderful experience gardening! We enjoyed

watching things grow, caring for our garden, and trying new recipes

together!”GPGP Gardener 2008

“ GPGP’s passion for the cause is inspiring, and volunteers walk away from every build

feeling reflective, as well as tired from a few hours of good, hard work. The issues of food,

health, and the economy are on everyone’s minds these days, and GPGP offers a small but important solution. We are happy to be

a part of this mini-movement!”Sarah Webb

Community Service CoordinatorGroton School

• Average # of children per household

• % who ate fresh vegetables daily

• Ate more vegetables than previously

• # of gardeners who cooked more meals at home

• Gardeners who spent more time outdoors

• Gardeners who got more exercise

2.2

63%

91%

100%

92%

88%

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“Having the garden here in my apartment in the Senior Housing Center has changed my life. It has given me a purpose and extreme satisfaction. I look forward to next year.”Mary Jane,Container Gardener,Leominster Housing Authority

our gardeners & volunteersl i s t e n t o . . .

new mentor programTo help ensure the success of our gardeners and our organization, GPGP introduced two new volunteer roles in 2009—Garden Mentor and Team Leader.

The Garden Mentor plays a key role in supporting families regardless of whether they are experienced or novice gardeners. Each mentor was required to spend a minimum of two hours with each gardener during the season to provide individual guidance, help establish priorities and goals, and monitor progress throughout the growing season. Our gardeners were thankful for the motivation, encouragement and the individual attention from their mentors!

In an attempt to create a succession plan for the role that Kate and Cindy had tra-ditionally played in the organization, we introduced the Team Leader. Each leader takes responsibility for managing and coordinating all the details associated with each garden installation and serves as the main point of contact for GPGP and the gardeners the day of the build. With the addition of this role, we hope to expand and regionalize our operation so that we can serve more people year after year.

Many thanks to our dedicated mentors and team leaders Cindy Buhner, Donna Mackie, George Davis, Kate Deyst, Daryll Clark, Kathy Fiorentino, Linda Russell, Liz Strachan, Lynn Dischler, Marlene Cote, Sonal Dhingra, Meg Bagdonas, Nikki Conzo, Pat White, Shirley Boudreau, Tiffany Doggett, and Wendy Metz

Growing Places provides its gardeners with the materials and expertise required to grow and harvest vegetables and herbs from raised-bed gardens for at least two growing seasons.

In the first season, GPGP staff and volunteers prepare sites at the clients’ homes, assemble bed frames, and fill them with composted soil. A typical garden consists of three 4’ by 8’ raised beds.

GPGP brings seeds and seedlings, offers gardeners guidance and assistance with planting, and gives advice on harvest-ing, storing, and using the garden’s produce. GPGP makes a strong effort to accommodate the gardeners’ dietary needs and preferences as well as physical abilities.

In the second year, GPGP reconditions the garden beds, and again provides seeds, seedlings, and technical support.

We hope to grow proficient gardeners who can maintain their gardens on their own and in subsequent years continue to grow fresh healthy food for themselves and their loved ones.

In the 8 years since inception, GPGP has served a total of 218 households and more than 678 people.

more about our ser v ices . . .

our h is tor y. . .GPGP was founded in December of 2001 by Cindy Buhner and Kate Deyst. In 2008 Jodi Breidel joined the organization as the first full time paid Executive Director.

At the same time, GPGP received a multi-year funding grant which provides declining levels of support over three years to allow time to increase fundraising capabilities. To that end, Jodi and the Board have developed a plan that establishes strategic priorities to expand GPGP services and strengthen the organization.

year

200220032004200520062007 20082009

cumulativetotal served

5255082

111139166218

new gardeners

520253229282752

# continuing from previous year

N/A4

1520232223 26

total households served yearly

524405252505078

Board of TrusteesCindy Buhner Co-founder and ChairKate Deyst Co-founder and TrusteePete Dumont TrusteeLisa Hamaker Trustee * new FY2010 memberMaria Heskes-Allard Treasurer and TrusteeLinda Russell Trustee * new FY2010 memberVicente Sanabria Secretary and TrusteeDolores Thibault-Munoz Trustee * new FY2010 member

Massachusetts . . .We service 22 communities in North Central Massachusetts and recruit gardeners through relationships with other organizations, via word of mouth and printed materials.

Eligibility is determined by: • Strong need (household income is less than or equal to 200% of the poverty level). In 2009 the total income of an eligible four-member household was $44,100 or less.

• Availability of appropriate gardening space.

• Commitment of 5-7 hours per week to tending a garden.

our service area…

board of trustees…

meet the 2010 board . . .Due to the number of new trustees coming “on board”, GPGP kicked off FY2010 with board training to review roles and responsibilities and GPGP’s mission, vision, and FY2010 goals.

* missing from the picture is Dolores Thibault-Munoz

ActonAyer

BerlinBolton

BoxboroClintonDevens

FitchburgGroton

HarvardHudson

LancasterLeominster

LittletonLunenburg

MaynardPepperell

ShirleySterling

StowTownsend

Westford

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t reasurer ’s repor t . . .FY2009 Un-Audited Financial Statements

Presented on the next page are GPGP’s un-audited balance sheet and income statement for fiscal year 2009 (October 1, 2008 – September 30, 2009). Overall, GPGP remains in good shape financially, entering FY2010 with $94,000 in the bank and no liabilities.

Revenues for FY2009 were $144,000 compared to expenses of $106,500 leaving a cash surplus of $37,500. However, it is important to note that $25,000 of a capacity building grant GPGP received in FY2009 was reimbursement for expenses incurred and paid out in FY2008. Consequently, if GPGP maintained its books on an accrual basis rather than a cash basis, the surplus would have only been $12,500.

Compared with FY2008, GPGP’s expenses were significantly higher as a result of our continued transition from a volunteer staff to an organization led by a paid full-time Executive Director. In the first full year of this transition, GPGP has increased its outreach to 52 families, nearly double the number of new families served in any one season since inception. Additionally, GPGP has added on a new container garden program as well as nutrition education programs to families and schools within our service area. Continued growth is expected in FY2010.

Projected expenses for FY2010 are $127,000. The increase in expenses is primarily driven by the addition of a part time program coordina-tor. On the revenue side, GPGP will receive $50,000 from a multiyear capacity building grant. Additionally, as of the writing of this report, GPGP had received over $20,800 in other donations and grants leav-ing a current fundraising gap of about $56,000.

f e e d b a c k f r o m . . .

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s t a t e m e n t o f a c t i v i t i e s . . .INCOME 2009 2008 changedonations 44,505* 32,869 11,636

grant income 99,620 27,791 71,829

interest income 85 104 (20)

total income $144,210 $60,764 $83,446

EXPENSES

administrative 19,747 34,319 (14,573)

fundraising 3,822 1,517 2,305

program 82,462 35,391 47,072

total expenses $106,032 $71,227 $34,804

change in net assets $38,178 ($10,464) $48,642

* includes donations from Board and Staff

2009 2008 ChangeCASH 94,220 54,966 39,254

fixed assets 9,343 9,343 0

accumulateddepreciation

7,342

(5,735)

1,607

net fixed assets 2,001 3,608 1,607

total assets $96,321 $58,574 $37,747

total liabilities 0 0 0

total net assets $96,321 $58,574 $37,747

b a l a n c e s h e e t . . .

w i t h o u t a l l o f y o u…indiv iduals & foundat ions . .David and Jane AndrewAnonymousMargaret BagdonasJodi and Dan BreidelPamela BrownCaryl & Nicholas BrowseCindy BuhnerFrank & Jen BuquicchioMagdaline CaradimitropouloLori and Mark ChampineLinda ChussDiane L. CordnerDavid CraftJo CrawfordCrossroads Community FoundationMary CutlerDancing Tides FoundationD’Eramo FamilyPenny DicksonLynn and Richard DischlerJohn & Mary DeystKate Deyst and Ken NickersonPete DumontEos FoundationAlan FerryMathieu FrankelBob GaylesRisa GoldmanConnie GrabowyGreen Leaf FoundationLisa HamakerBart & Carol HanlonJeffrey & Ragnild HarrisSuzanne Hays

Rick High & Andy PerkinsHome Gardening Project FoundationBeth KlarmanJeffrey C KoechlingSarah LemairePat LoverroDonna MackieLorena MandozziLinda MaraLynda MoultonEli and Barbara Berger OfekN. Scott & Deborah PierceMark PriceRuthann PriftyNancy ReifensteinAlice G. RennieLinda RussellGabriella SalernoGeorgia & Liang Li-Shiang SassenDewey & Sherrill SasserVicente SanabriaPaul SchimmelAndrea Silbert Carol Ann SmallwoodStephen SashiharaDolores Thibault-MunozSalina A. & Evan D. ThomasSusan and Edward TollShirley VasingtonPeter VerheyenRobert & Laura WatkinsHeidi WhartonPatricia WhiteAlice WilliamsPeter Wyman Mary Ysueta

bus inesses & organizat ionsApplefield FarmsAvidia BankBare Hill Studios Fiber LoftBay Leaf StudioBeremco, Inc. Property ManagementBerlin OrchardsBolton OrchardsCarlson Orchards, Inc.Central Avenue Auto RepairCitySproutsClinton Savings BankCongregational Church of HarvardDharma Harvest, Inc.Dunn & Co.DWD Restaurant Group Inc DBAEnterprise Bank Fitchburg BranchEnterprise Bank Leominster BranchFallon Community Health PlanFCUC HarvardFEDCO Seeds Inc.Forgione Lawn CareFruitlands Museum, Inc.Gibbet Hill GrillHannaford Supermarkets Harvard Women’s ClubHarvard Ecumenical Youth GroupHillside Garage Inc.

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w i t h o u t a l l o f y o u…

bus inesses & organizations - cont’d

Kaliday MarketingKotlarz & AssociatesLegacy PublishingLeominster Credit UnionMathworksMiddlesex Savings BankMoore’s LumberNashoba Brooks School of ConcordNashoba Brook BakeryNypro Inc.R.A. Hall & Co.Rollstone Bank & TrustScentsibilitiesShaw’s SupermarketSterling Marketing, Inc.Tailgaters GrilleTD BanknorthThe Barn SchoolThe Black Sheep The Polus Center for Social & Economic DevelopmentThe Wine MerchantVernier Design Inc.Virginia Thurston Healing GardenW. Boylston 5K Race CommitteeWestward Orchards Farm Store

vo lunteers . . .Applewild SchoolCarolyn AlbrychtJane AndrewAmy ArmstrongBen AshMeg BagdonasAnna BarkerMaureen BarrSharon BarrettAmy BeaulieuNicole BeginKaryn BenderBill BerthoudDiane BishopChristina BlakeJoe BongiardinaShirley BoudreauSharon BriggsBreidel Family Jennifer Burns

vo lunteers - cont ’d

Cindy CadoretMartha CaisapantaTracy CalabresiDiane CallanAgata Berenice CalvoTony CapestanyDena CaradimitropouloKathy ChadwickChampine FamilyJessica and Lindsay CherubinoJennifer ChesworthSharon ChiangDarryl ClarkBob ClearyAshley CloseEvan CochraneMartin CohenMarcia ConantsNikki ConzoElizabeth CooperMarlene CoteDavid CraftStephanie CrispJ. Marsha CroyleGeorge DavisPiale DeDenali DelmarJames DeLucoSusan DempseyJane DensmoreDebra D’EramoJoseph D’EramoDanielle DescoteauxMeredith DeWittSonal DhingraLynn DischlerTiffany DoggettPete DumontJoan EliyesilKathy ElkindBecky EndicottRick FaddenVince FarrellGinger FennelCraig Ferrere

vo lunteers - cont ’d

Joan FingerKathleen FiorentinoBarbara FrankCathy FraryPamela FrederickBeth FredricksonCharles GarmanCarolyn GillespieAlan GilsonRisa GoldmanSilvia Mabel GonzalezStacey GordonConnie GrabowyElizabeth HallLisa HamakerLaura HarringtonJeffrey HarrisJanice HartPaula HedrickElizabeth HeichlerThomas HermleyJohn HeudorferClayton HobartPatricia Hornridge-KingChristine HouseGretchen HousemanAmy HsuLinda HughesFredrica IntroneSue JacksonSteve JacobsPolly Jenkins-ManJan JohnsonMelinda JordanLiza JudgeReggie JugovichJuniper NetworksDennis KarwowskiRon KearnsSharon and Bill KernsBecca KerrJackie KeshianHelen KilianDara Kilpi

volunteers - cont’d

Laura & Alexander KischitzMasami Knox Andrea KoumjianJean KowalKristina KronauerBen LandryMarie LeBlanc John and Susan LeeSarah LemairePatricia LoverroJeff Lucas Amanda MackDonna MackieMarina MacNeilJennifer MaggiolinoSarika MaheshwariRosemary MaldonadoMarian MalliouxLynne ManMeighan MatthewsMathworksJoe Maureen PhillipsJennifer McCann BlackChuck McCormackJean and Dave McKinleyJulie McNeillWendy MetzMary MillerChris MohnAlexandra Muenze DePaloPat and John MyersMcKinley Ann NealKen NickersonDebbie NoyesLisa OldhamLawrence O’TooleCharity ParrottSam PeischBarbara PelkeyBob PorterAmanda PriceRuthann & Frederick PriftyCathy RicciardiJonathan “J” RicciardiVinny RicciardiMyrna RichmondSarah RosenfieldLinda Russell

Russ & Olya RussoMark SaydahLlewelyn SherrodSusan ShipleyLuci SimmonsChristina SmithJosh SolomonLiz StrachanGail SunHellie SwartwoodVicki TardifSwapna TelaproluJan TereskoDolores Thibault-MunozDavid Thibault-MunozJesus TorresPolly VanassePeter VerheyenPenni and John WagnerMichelle and Gary WatsonSarah WebbAlexis WeyersPat WhiteAnn WhitneyChristine WilliamsRyan WilliamsRebecca WrightMelissa and Ellery Yahia

we fondly remember...Joanne Hall who contributed many hours of her thoughtful time and energy to us in 2009

GPGP thanks all of our 2008 and 2009 contributors and volunteers who share our passion and enthu-siasm for serving the community. While we have attempted to list each and every contributor, we apologize in advance for any omission.

w i t h o u t a l l o f y o u…

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special thanks to the following individuals for donating professional services:

PublisherSuzanne Hays

Creative DirectorChristine Lazorchak

Nourishment ConsultantKathy Elkind

Survey assessmentJoe Bongiardina

NewslettersSonal Dhingra

DevelopmentHellie Swartwood

Web DesignJoan Eliyesal

w i t h o u t a l l o f y o u…

now available online ...GPGP’s Growing Guide & Recipe Books

The Growing Guide offers a step-by-step approach to planning your garden and the recipe guide includes over 100 nutritious recipes that many GPGP families and volunteers have provided to us over the years to use in our newsletters.

Growing Places Garden Project• PO Box 17 • 75 Green Street • Clinton, MA 01510 • t: 978.598.3723 • www.growingplaces.org