Feed Two Birds brings fresh organic produce, grown by individuals experiencing homelessness in our transitional employment program, to other underserved individuals across Santa Cruz County. Given the rising cost of groceries, access to fresh, organic food for vulnerable populations is especially important.
Food insecurity is still a problem in our community. Last year we increased the program to include 60 shares to 13 organizations, growing from our traditional 30 shares donated to 10 organizations that we provided before the pandemic struck in 2020. This increased donation comes at a real cost for us, so please help us raise the funds necessary to get healthy food distributed to our community. We have a goal of $50,000 to ensure we can continue this program. We have a generous challenge of $10,000 from Patrick Teverbaugh to help us get started and your support will help us reach our goal.
Please consider making a gift that will:
1) Enable Homeless Garden Project trainees to grow thousands of pounds of healthy organic vegetables and fruits, and
2) Allow HGP to distribute the boxed produce to many underserved community members through 13 local community non-profits.
Through the Feed Two Birds program, your donation has double the impact. Each dollar you donate supports the Project’s transitional employment and job training program and allows for the sharing of food grown at the garden throughout the community.
Alyson, one of the trainees on our crew pictured below, is instrumental in putting together the baskets of fresh produce each week. She shared, “As someone who has been on the other end of not having access to healthy food to eat, it’s nice to be a part of getting to share this food with the community. This work helps make me feel connected.” She says that through her journey, it’s helped her to remember to never give up. “No matter how hard things get, there is always support available, it’s just a question of finding it. I might not have everything figured out at this moment, but that doesn’t mean my life isn’t moving forward.”
Many people and families will be served by these shares! With this program, our trainees are growing, harvesting and sharing produce with people lacking access to fresh organic produce. Our trainees are part of a solution.
180 Volunteer Housing Navigators
Assisted Living Project
Dept of Veteran Affairs- HUD VASH
Downtown Streets Team
Encompass Housing Support
Front St Housing Supports- Front St Inc.
Grey Bears
Monarch Services
Santa Cruz County Behavioral Health Occupational Therapy
Santa Cruz County Office of Education
Santa Cruz County Black Health Matters Initiative
Senderos
Walnut Avenue Family and Women’s Center