As we grow in the garden, kitchen and as a nonprofit (we have our own 501c3 status now -we are officially our own NP!); our list of supporters both in-kind (volunteers and “givers of stuff” -such as the neighbors who had left over cedar grove soil and a new bag of veggie fertilizer) and financial supporters (private donors, foundations and businesses) grows too. These are the folks that help us to keep our garden gate open and fuel our stove-top. All of this done in the background, generous with their time and their money. Almost daily there is somone new to thank and someone who calls me up just to say, “I’m so happy with all that you are doing….can you use….can I volunteer….where can I send some money?”
Starting off our second year on the property, two new major supporters stepped up to GIVE. They have helped us to get 2012 off the ground in many important ways.
GLASSYBABY I’m sure is well-known to many of you who live in Seattle. They are generous supporters of charities dedicated to health, healing and quality of life, and their lovely votives give so much more than that lovely warm glow. Although they now have a New York store, their “headquarters” are in Madrona and therefore close to our garden. Their generous donation has been significant to this full and new year. They have also offered other forms of support and we hope to collaborate on a Fall middle school art project for the garden.
FIRST TECH CREDIT UNION a great bank by the way, and it feels like a local bank (pretty local as they are mostly in WA, OR and CA). Their funding support process was straight forward and friendly and we have made great use of their funds.
The funding from both Glassybaby and First Tech went to supplement the costs for our 7th grade programming (Madrona K-8).
It also paid for a new delivery of Cedar Grove planting soil (all the compost was donated but we paid a decreased cost on the soil). Because all our planting is done on top of the lot we have needed to bring soil as well as the compost. This soil is big part of the reason we have such amazing harvests (that and great Karma).
It paid for some garden supplies and for bamboo herb pots for a Mother’s Day project for our students. They each received a compostable and colorful seed pot where they planted either: basil, spearmint, oregano or chives (or a combination) –they decorated these pots with colorful sharpies (pictures and words that reminded them of their mother-figure) and we gave them 2 weeks to germinate before they gave them to their mothers/aunts/grandmothers or another mother-figure in their lives (they LOVED this project).
There’s a lot more, but those are the highlights of their support!
Thanks to all of you who have and do support GPS on so many levels and a special thanks this time to GLASSYBABY and FIRST TECH!
