Mini Grant Project: In the Garden with Tabernacle

Mini Grant SenseMaker Project Story or Micro-Narrative

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How This Person Interpreted Their Story or Micro-Narrative

Note: Responses which fell closer to the middle (between two or three options) are shown as two dashes.
  • This project or activity has the capacity to impact the community:
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  • The mini grant project(s) in my story impact:
  • The story I shared shows the importance of:
  • In my story, things went:
  • The story shows:

While coordinating the Outreach breakfast program,…

While coordinating the Outreach breakfast program, I asked for volunteers to work in our community garden on Saturdays from 7-9am. On the next Saturday 3 people showed up, 2 of whom were homeless. We worked together putting bricks around new garden beds, watering the entre garden, and planting vegetable plants and harvesting produce to be given out on the next day at breakfast. They enjoyed it so much they asked to come back the following Saturday. They continue to come and have spread the word in the community. We are up to 7 volunteers on a regular basis. We give them a $20 stipend donation each Saturday. It’s not much, but they appreciate the money and have told us it gives them a sense of having done something good. As a result of their feedback, we made the commitment to find additional grants in order to bring more homeless volunteers on board. Our volunteers are helping us to grow a garden on Saturdays that feed people on Sundays when they come for breakfast. It’s truly a win win for everyone. God is blessing our ministry and mission to feed our community.

Our community garden is flourishing. One…

Our community garden is flourishing. One of our regular volunteers who is partly responsible is Frank, who volunteered for about 2 months every Saturday. He also made himself available for other handyman jobs around our church to keep busy. He saved up the money he earned as he was trying to get housing. Recently, we found out he was able to find permanent housing and get off the streets. He still does not have personal transportation and his new home is not on a bus line where he can continue to work in the garden. His energy, hard work, and enthusiasm will be missed. This is truly a “Praise Report”. We are proud of him for working toward his goal of ending his homelessness and finding a home.