The Homeless Garden Project • February 2011

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. Annual Report — 2010

The numbers and quotes here report on what was accomplished in 2010 in HGP's programs and enterprises. Our goals are to:• Bring together people from throughout the community in the beauty and security of our certified organic garden.• Practice and teach principles of economic and ecological sustainabilty through classes and hands-on experience.

• Provide homeless men and women job training and transitional employment. • Twenty people filled 15 positions in our training program• We provided 10,316 hours of paid job training• We estimate we served nearly 3,000 lunches to trainees and volunteers

Natural Bridges Farm— what we grew: • We grew 44 different fruits/veggies and 68 different types of flowers for a total of 97 different plants• We produced food and flowers for 47 CSA members including 22 scholarship shares

What we harvested (a partial listing)• 52 buckets of Alstromeria • 66 buckets of Shasta Daisies• 218 flats of strawberries • 28,450 stems of basil• 1,248 heads of lettuce • 150 pounds of pumpkins• 2,120 pieces summer squash

What was harvested for WOFE:• 13,430 bundles of flowers and herbs• 58 kinds of flowers—87 varieties• 3,001 Bundles of lavender

Other accomplishments at our beautiful farm!• We installed a spiral bed peace garden• We created a new group meeting area between our green houses filled with succulents• Prepared for our 20th anniversary celebration by filling the farm with celebration flags improving signage, constructing a history circle and installing a garden lantern donated by Zen chef Chuck Overly• We began planting new perennial beds down the main path expanding the horticultural interest and diversity of the farm• We increased compost production and benefited from the nonstop compost-making dedication of volunteer Don Lessard• Forrest Cook and Rachel Cohen took over the helm as new Farm staff in 2010.

Women’s Organic Flower Enterprise—what we made:• 233 Wreaths • 117 Birch Hearts• 219 Bags of Potpourri • 145 Sets of Dryer Bags• 40 Catnip Bags • 145 Bath Teas• 120 Cookie Mixes • 78 Bags Biscuit Mixes• 111 Packages of Lavender Sugar • 53 Jars of Herb Salt• 417 Tins of Salve • 237 Poured Candles• 128 Pairs of 6” Beeswax Candles • 52 Pairs of 10”Beeswax Candles• 588 Pairs of Small Candles • 22 Pairs of Earrings• 18 Bookmarks • 322 Tins of Tea• 504 Jars of Strawberry Jam (made with our strawberries by Swanton Berry Farm)• 800 Containers of Strawberry Gelato (made with our strawberries by Gelato Massimo)

Santa Cruz AIDS Project picks up a CSA share.

Thanks to Jon Kersey, Nhi Hua for photos used in this newsletter.

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V o i c e s f r o m t h e F i e l d s...At the office:• Over 400 hours were donated to volunteering in our office, helping with event planning, payroll, fundraising, marketing, filing, data entry (at $10/ hour, a value of $4,000).

Who we worked with— volunteer groups:At the Farm... • We worked alongside Laurel Street on a daily basis year-round; a day center for people with developmental disabilities-participants.

• We also worked with the Bay School on a weekly basis; the year-round school educates students with autism between the ages of three and twenty-one.

We hosted the following events and workdays at the farm. • Martin Luther King Service Day on January 18th • 20th Anniversary Celebration on October 2nd • Make A Difference Day on October 23rd • Community Work Day on November 6th

We hosted the following groups and events at Natural Bridges Farm • Adventure Camp • Avenues • Ben Lomond Service Camp • College 8 Leadership • Community Connection • Disciples of Christ Women's Ministries • Familia Center • Food What?! • Girl Scouts • Laurel Street • Mission Springs Retreat • Natural Bridges Head Start • Natural Bridges High School • Praxis UCSC • Slide Ranch • The Bay School • The Salvation Army • UCSC Alpha Phi Omega • UCSC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) • Vintage Faith Church • Whittier First Friends Church Youth and Young Adult

Volunteers in the shop have said:“HGP should keep being so connected with the community and open to all volunteers. The hassle of volunteering can be so tedious, with so much paperwork. At HGP, it's as simple asshowing up, and you are put to use. That’s what I was looking for—meaning and to be of service.”

“I would recommend volunteering at HGP because the cause itself is the best: help people who need work to help make organic food. That's the best thing ever! Organic food is so important and sustainable and all the while, the trainees are learning such important skills.”

Women’s Organic Flower Enterprise—What we sold:

(a select list of what was sold)• 188 Wreaths• 92 Birch Hearts• 383 Bags of Potpourri• 1,233 Dipped and Poured Candles

WOFE Accomplishments:• Increased year-round sales at From Our Garden’s depot park location• Independently produced 2 products previously made for us (salves and bath teas). • Created and sold out of 3 new blends of tea and 4 successful blends from last year.• Improved our design and wreath-making training by building on 2009's successes.

Who we worked with—volunteers.• We worked with over 335 volunteers at the farm, workshop, retail store and office with over 5,000 hours (at $10/hour, a value of $50,000).

At the Downtown Holiday Store:• For five weeks from November 22-December 24th we had over 45 volunteers donate 663 hours of service to our Holiday Store on Pacific Avenue (at $10/hour, a value of $6,630).

Documenting Success. HGP has been recognized locally and nationally for its work and there is no doubt that over the past 20 years, HGP has touched many lives. Systematically documenting program strengths and identifying areas for improvement is essential to ensuring that HGP achieves its mission. Evaluative information can inform program planning and development, and provide evidence to secure program funding.

We are putting our research skills to use to systematically assess HGP’s strengths and areas for development. We visit HGP twice a year, at the beginning and end of the season, to assess HGP trainees’ experiences during their time with the program. The beginning of the season questionnaire asks trainees to identify their reasons for wanting to work at HGP, their short- and long-term life goals, and the resources needed to achieve their goals. The end of the season questionnaire asks trainees to identify potential changes in their goals and progress toward them. Trainees are also asked to identify what they perceive to be the most important aspects of their job training, to recommend program changes, and what they value most among the different resources offered by HGP. This is a longitudinal study and we expect to work with HGP for many years. Collecting data long-term is essential to obtaining a complete picture of HGP’s program and trainee growth.

We share here a few preliminary insights gained from reviewing responses from the 2010 end of the season. While the small sample limits the conclusions that should be drawn, several themes stand out:

HGP fosters positive change. Trainees reported that their lives had changed in a number of positive ways since starting the program. Trainees described gaining confidence, knowledge, and farming skills. Progress toward a range of personal (e.g., substance abuse recovery, spiritual growth) and professional (e.g., learning farm skills, educational advancement) goals were described. Participants attributed much of their success to HGP.

HGP teaches valuable farming and life skills. Trainees greatly value the organic farming skills that they are learning. Developing farming skills and learning about the benefits of growing organically were identified as among the most important things learned at HGP. Trainees also value the opportunity to work closely with others and that it is okay to ask for help or make mistakes.

Community matters. Trainees value the warm camaraderie and caring envi-ronment of HGP and the farm. For some trainees, it seems that HGP is a second family. We look forward to continuing our work with HGP and sharing further findings from this long-term assessment. —Shirley Truong and Heather Bullock: University of California, Santa Cruz

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Volunteers in both the shop and the farm:“I enjoy volunteering at both the farm and the shop. At the farm, you are doing one thing at a time and you are pretty much on your own though working side by side; there's little coordination or cooperation required and personalities don't seem to need to be compatible. At the store, you're performing a diverse set of tasks, things change, dealing with the public and co-volunteers requires more thought and accommodation.”

“Volunteering at the farm is hands-on; and volunteer relationships are usually longer-lasting and deeper. It's a more meaningful peek at the nuts and bolts, emphasizing relating to trainees. The store is vital— the volunteer experience while not as connected as the farm, it exposes us to lots of people in a short time.”

Volunteers at the farm:“I’ve started working as a volunteer at Natural Bridges Farm and it’s been a great learning experience and great exercise too. In addition to getting to know the people and processes involved I’m developing an attachment to the soil and to particular planting beds and that’s been a wonderful surprise. Being able to prepare the soil to plant, planting food and flowers and then coming back to harvest the fruits of my own labor is gratifying in a way that’s hard to describe. I heartily recommend the experience for anyone who has any time to invest. It’s one investment in these uncertain times that will pay off at higher than expected levels.”

2010 Expenses92% Program

3% Administration5% Fundraising

27% Earned income

2010 Income44% Donations from individuals

21% Foundation grants

5% Corporations and businesses

2% Government grants

1% Miscellaneous

Crepuscular-adj. 1 : of, relating to, or resembling twilight 2 : occurring or active during twilight God’s hour. Those moments when the greens have never looked so green and the world seems to share with you for a fleeting moment all of her secrets. Those secrets unfurl their petals only to have them dissipate into the sky. And just like that, like an apparition they are gone. But those secrets were real . They entered your heart and shape you as you gently walk this earth. Those are the moments with Susie that I will cherish the most, her hunched over speedling trays waiting for the seed she was to place as the sun fell over the horizon. Like those crepuscular rays penetrating the skyline we are humbled to know that Susie’s presence and life has penetrated our hearts. Hers were the rays of education, family, pride, and a work ethic of steel and to honor her is to share those rays daily with those around us. —Paul Glowaski was HGP’s Farm manager until 2010 and is currently on the Board of Directors

I met Susie in June of 2010. I knew her only seven months but I felt I knew her well. Among her gifts was being completely straightforward, and if she trusted you, completely open. She was generous in showing her pleasure with a job well done. When I started as a volunteer Susie was one of my bosses. She always let me know when she liked something I did and she was not afraid to tell me when she didn’t. I always knew where I stood with her and I think she was that way with everyone. Susie set a high standard for hard work; she was in constant motion and always had a chore at hand if you needed a job. She knew a lot about that farm and she was eager to teach anyone who wanted to be taught.

As we got to know each other we began to relate to each other as equals. At Thanksgiving when I stopped going to the farm every week I ran into Susie one day at Trader Joe’s. She gave me a big hug and said that she missed seeing me. At that moment we became friends. We had some fun times in December at the Holiday Store and Susie was in a wonderful frame of mind the last time I saw her, two days before she tragically died.

I was angry when I learned of Susie’s death, I felt I was robbed of a new friend. That emotion gave way to sadness and then changed to gratitude in having known her. When her sons Kaya and Tashi came to speak to the Circle meeting just after she died, Tashi spoke eloquently about how happy Susie was working at Natural Bridges Farm, how she loved that place and how it was paying her back with a newfound strength in managing her life. I feel privileged to have earned Susie MacMillen’s friendship, I miss her and I won’t forget her. Her story deserves to be part of the Homeless Garden Project’s folklore. She would be proud of that. —Matt Guerrieri began volunteering with HGP in 1995; he currently volunteers at HGP's Farm, is involved in strategic planning and was instrumental in fundraising and the downtown store during the holidays.

V o i c e s f r o m t h e F i e l d s...Tributes toSusie MacMillen. 4.3.53 — 12.26.10 Susie began working at the Homeless Garden Project in April, 2007. She first worked in the greenhouse (and perhaps the greenhouse was her true love), then worked in the kitchen, field, workshop, making value-added products at St Francis Soup Kitchen ( HGP to uses their certified kitchen through their generous donation), at CSA pick-up, provided instruction for other trainees and volunteers, and this year, moved into her final frontier -retail at the downtown Holiday Store. Susie's appetite for learning was equaled only by her gratitude for the Project. We dedicate this newsletter to Susie in honor of the strength, intelligence, attention and commitment Susie brought to all of us here at HGP.

Susie and I bonded initially over our mutual love of greenhouse work. Beginnings. It takes time to get to know someone and Susie was very generous with her time. As we spent days turned months together a multitude of conversational topics were explored, many specific to work… many not. We were mutually interested in the art of communication, community building and trying to understand ourselves. Susie was as curious of a girl as I consider myself. My heart swells with thankfulness that I was blessed with Susie in my life. I love her and will cherish her always. She added colour to my day and strength to my character. I imagine her dancing, basked in sunlight surrounded by tropical fruit tossing seeds along her path. —Karalee Greenwald, past HGP Horticulture Director

Susie was a radical, strong, independent, nurturing earth mother, who lived on her own terms; loved and raised three extraordinary sons by herself as well as grew incredibly bountiful and beautiful gardens at home and at the Farm. She would dive into undertakings with resolve and labor tenaciously until they were completed, and always kept an eye out for how things might be improved. Susie was one of the most generous people to have ever walked this planet. She had a heart of colorful flowers (she would never be the prevalent gold; environmentally disastrous, reeking of exclusive wealth) and she would always prefer to gift before receiving. May we all be gifted with a little of Susie as we go about our tasks; putting our hearts into the deep work of nurturing life for all. —Wumby and Susie were fast~best friends and family since 1978SusieThere is no one like herHer bright, blue eyes sparkledas she encountered each dayHer love poured forth abundantlyonto those whom she drew nearFlowers danced to the melody of her calloused handsWith Mother Nature as her role modelshe embraced life with awe and thanksgivingMay her laughter, generosity and wordsof encouragement echo never endinglyNever forgetting Susie —Rachel Cohen is HGP Farm Supervisor

You can see additonal tributes to Susieon HGP's blog, accessible through our home page (click on Blog in the upper right hand corner) We'll continue to add them as they come in.

A tribute gift to the Project is a great way to show your support to our programs while honoring the generous people in your life! We’ll acknowledge your gift promptly by mailing a beautiful card of our organic flower farm to the individual, family, or organization that you are honoring or remembering. (Please remember to send their addresses!) For gifts of $75 or more, we’ll also send your tribute person a pair of 10” handmade beeswax candlescreated in our workshop program. The gift amount is not included with the card or candle. You’ll receive our grateful confirmation of your gift for tax purposes.

Recent tribute gifts made to HGPIn Honor Of:Patrice Boyle— Thorman and Boyle FoundationEmily Clark— Pamela and Al PatrickKent Halpern— Gwendynn KeithDonna Cowan— John CowanDick Verrow— AnonymousGinny and Peter Katzlberge— AnonymousDelise Weir and Ross— AnonymousKay Kaminski and Michel Singher— AnonymousPat and Martha Dexter— Mary Dexter, Jan Dexter, John Miller, and Matt MillerSheila Cayton— Roberta DuntonMatt and Peg Guerrier’s 25th wedding anniversary— Matt GuerrieriMs. and Mr. Paul Lee— Matt GuerrieriKaren Sweetland— Pat HendersonBill Leland— Deborah HoffmanRose Kuras— Marcia Kaplan-MannSusie and Russ Wise— Shawn PadillaBruce and Abbie Leeson— Christie PearsonJean and Alex Grillo— David and Diana RevellMarianne and Bruce Hultgren— Donald RothmanMirch Clan— Gretchen Walsh

In Memory Of:Susie MacMillen— Caitlin and Christine Brune-Reyes, Enda Brennan, Salli Shippen, Henry, Jean and Wilma Plummer, Peter and Jeanette Katzlberger, The High Sierra Foundation, Betty MacMillan and an anonymous donorCarl Nelson— Nancy McNultyDori Bodenheimer— Thomas and Rita BottomsF.O.G.— Creative CircleGrand dog Otto— Julia Patton

Two ways to get involved! • Yourspringdonationshelpusgetthegardenplantedand support for our winter training program. • Winter2011'strainingprogramfeaturesskilltraininginthe workshop and farm, career exploration and job search work shops, resume and interview skill workshops and computer training.

It's not too late to get a 15% match on donations to HGP.Pledge by Feb 25 to Birdies for Charity It’s fun and easy! Donations will be accepted until February 25.Information at: (831) 426-3609 1#Make a Birdies Pledge: https://birdies.attpbgolf.com/charities/homelessgardenproject

Feed Two Birdswith One Worm!Help sponsor food donations for low-income families.YourgenerousdonationsupportsHGP'strainingprogramandsharesoforganicproduce to agencies working with low-income people. Our organic veggies, fruits and flower donations will go to organizations such as The Independent Living Program,SantaCruzAIDSProject,Women'sCrisisSupport,theBeachFlatsCommunity Center, Live Oak Family Resource Center and Hospice of Santa Cruz County. Donate online: www.homelessgardenproject.org/getinvolved/donate.php or call 426-3609 1#

See our Web Site: www.homelessgardenproject.orgor call us at: (831) 426-3609Be an active supporter:

______$1,000. Friend of the Garden______$ 500. Cultivator of the Garden______$ 250. Sower of the Garden______$ 100. Supporter of the Garden

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The Homeless Garden ProjectP.O. Box 617 • Santa Cruz, California • 95061

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February 10-14 • 10am—6pm— Regular winter hours Tue & Fri:10-5; Mon, Wed & Thurs: 10-3 —

30 West Cliff Drive next to Depot Park831.426.3609, ext. 3# • www.homelessgardenproject.org

Valentine Holiday Store

Come experience Natural Bridges Farm! New this year: • We're highlighting U-Pick Shares—bring your family and friends to the farm. • All CSA share pick-ups will be at the farm. • Support our training program by purchasing a CSA share made up of high quality, organic vegetables, strawberries and flowers.• Sign up online, pick up a brochure at our store or call and have one sent. • Payment plans available; online sales require full payment www.homelessgardenproject.org831.423.1020 (let it ring... they’re out working on the farm)

GIFTS of love... featuring products made in our training program from herbs and flowers grown at our organic farm. A wide selection of Birch hearts, Soaps, Lavender Bath Salts, Chocolate, Candles, Wreaths and more!

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2011 Community Supported AgricultureJOIN now for early bird discount! Weekly organic produce, May-October.