David's Backpacks for the Homeless
Donation protected
David's Backpacks for the Homeless is a community based ministry founded in Monroe, NC. Since February of 2014, my husband Bryan and I have been working to offer assistance to the homeless in our community in any way that we have been able, including donations of food and gear. We have a heart for the homeless and a drive to do God's will.
Over the last two years we have devoted a large part of our lives to helping the homeless in our community. It started by putting together backpacks full of necessities and handing them out to those we met in need. We would walk in areas where we knew we'd meet people, and even search for tent communities along railroad tracks and in the woods. Through donations of goods from our community we have been able to hand out backpacks all across the area and meet some amazing people in need!
With the money we raise here we plan to build a garden that will not only help to feed the homeless, but to provide them with the opportunity to feed themselves. Not just physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. By selling produce from the garden in a fashion akin to a CSA program(Community-Supported Agriculture) , we want to create a self-sustaining property. A place where we can grow our garden and eventually build a community center for education and some transient housing for those in need.
The motivation and purpose for our ministry is to glorify God and help the homeless and poverty stricken in our area. Our cause is a very personal one, as my husband was once in the same situation as our homeless friends. He spent the ages of 16-31 struggling with addiction and homelessness, and he understands what it means to be considered an outcast and how hard it is to get out of that situation. Many of our brothers and sisters lack any hope for the future. Many of them want to change, but lack access to the proper tools to achieve that goal. Tools like Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, or a rehab center. But for Bryan it wasn’t AA, NA, or the twelve steps that saved him. It was the love of Christ that was showered on him by the community of people that He had placed in his life. And now he and I are working to build and grow a community to help our friends find the hope for the future they deserve.
With over half a million women, children, vets, and families homeless in the United States, we felt it was important to try to make a difference. It is no longer just the alcoholics, addicts, and mentally ill that are in this situation. Seven out of ten of us are one paycheck away from facing the same difficult decisions that many of the people we're helping have had to face.
The first step for our ministry is to finish the process of getting 501c3 non-profit status. Aside from providing future donors with tax-deductible donation receipts, this will also help to create opportunities for the ministry as a legitimate non-profit group.
The second and biggest step is to purchase the land for the site of the garden. We already have a location, and are in talks to buy the property as soon as we have the funds. Once we have the property, we'll need to get water to it, either through a well or by tapping into the city's water system. After that we can start the process of building our garden.
The garden itself has two main purposes. First, it will be a place for the homeless to be able to work and gain a feeling of self-worth, while also providing them with food that they've had a hand in growing. We want the garden to be its own community, a place where our friends can come to find a sense of togetherness, to remember what it feels like to help contribute to society, and ultimately to give them a sense of hope for the future.
The second purpose of the garden is to create a self-sustaining property. We want to sell the extra produce in the form of a membership, similar in style to Community-Supported Agriculture. We plan to deliver fresh produce on a schedule that is dependent on different membership levels. The funding from the memberships will go to upkeep on the garden, as well as give jobs to 6-8 of our homeless friends.
The estimated breakdown of our proposal is as follows;
501c3 non-profit status - $400.00
one hoop house - $750
green house - $1,000
chicken house/coop - $ 200
electric or solar panels - $ 3,000-$ 5,000
gardening tools/supplies- $ 3,000
Water lines or a Well - est. $5,000-$6,000
Plants, manure, fencing, feed - est. $ 4,000
Van for delivery and transportation (incl. tags, insurance, etc.). - est. $7,000.00
Total goal - $30,000.00 (est to get up and running)
With the future proceeds from the garden we hope to be able to build a community center for education, transient housing for 4-6 of our friends, and limited permanent housing (tiny houses) and a chicken house for fresh eggs. The ultimate goal of this project is to be a bridge between our homeless friends and the rest of the community, as well as to give them positive reinforcement, friendship, love, and a feeling of self-worth. We feel it’s a great way of reintroducing our friends back into the community and at the same time educating the community about homelessness.
Over the last two years we have devoted a large part of our lives to helping the homeless in our community. It started by putting together backpacks full of necessities and handing them out to those we met in need. We would walk in areas where we knew we'd meet people, and even search for tent communities along railroad tracks and in the woods. Through donations of goods from our community we have been able to hand out backpacks all across the area and meet some amazing people in need!
With the money we raise here we plan to build a garden that will not only help to feed the homeless, but to provide them with the opportunity to feed themselves. Not just physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. By selling produce from the garden in a fashion akin to a CSA program(Community-Supported Agriculture) , we want to create a self-sustaining property. A place where we can grow our garden and eventually build a community center for education and some transient housing for those in need.
The motivation and purpose for our ministry is to glorify God and help the homeless and poverty stricken in our area. Our cause is a very personal one, as my husband was once in the same situation as our homeless friends. He spent the ages of 16-31 struggling with addiction and homelessness, and he understands what it means to be considered an outcast and how hard it is to get out of that situation. Many of our brothers and sisters lack any hope for the future. Many of them want to change, but lack access to the proper tools to achieve that goal. Tools like Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, or a rehab center. But for Bryan it wasn’t AA, NA, or the twelve steps that saved him. It was the love of Christ that was showered on him by the community of people that He had placed in his life. And now he and I are working to build and grow a community to help our friends find the hope for the future they deserve.
With over half a million women, children, vets, and families homeless in the United States, we felt it was important to try to make a difference. It is no longer just the alcoholics, addicts, and mentally ill that are in this situation. Seven out of ten of us are one paycheck away from facing the same difficult decisions that many of the people we're helping have had to face.
The first step for our ministry is to finish the process of getting 501c3 non-profit status. Aside from providing future donors with tax-deductible donation receipts, this will also help to create opportunities for the ministry as a legitimate non-profit group.
The second and biggest step is to purchase the land for the site of the garden. We already have a location, and are in talks to buy the property as soon as we have the funds. Once we have the property, we'll need to get water to it, either through a well or by tapping into the city's water system. After that we can start the process of building our garden.
The garden itself has two main purposes. First, it will be a place for the homeless to be able to work and gain a feeling of self-worth, while also providing them with food that they've had a hand in growing. We want the garden to be its own community, a place where our friends can come to find a sense of togetherness, to remember what it feels like to help contribute to society, and ultimately to give them a sense of hope for the future.
The second purpose of the garden is to create a self-sustaining property. We want to sell the extra produce in the form of a membership, similar in style to Community-Supported Agriculture. We plan to deliver fresh produce on a schedule that is dependent on different membership levels. The funding from the memberships will go to upkeep on the garden, as well as give jobs to 6-8 of our homeless friends.
The estimated breakdown of our proposal is as follows;
501c3 non-profit status - $400.00
one hoop house - $750
green house - $1,000
chicken house/coop - $ 200
electric or solar panels - $ 3,000-$ 5,000
gardening tools/supplies- $ 3,000
Water lines or a Well - est. $5,000-$6,000
Plants, manure, fencing, feed - est. $ 4,000
Van for delivery and transportation (incl. tags, insurance, etc.). - est. $7,000.00
Total goal - $30,000.00 (est to get up and running)
With the future proceeds from the garden we hope to be able to build a community center for education, transient housing for 4-6 of our friends, and limited permanent housing (tiny houses) and a chicken house for fresh eggs. The ultimate goal of this project is to be a bridge between our homeless friends and the rest of the community, as well as to give them positive reinforcement, friendship, love, and a feeling of self-worth. We feel it’s a great way of reintroducing our friends back into the community and at the same time educating the community about homelessness.
Organizer
Mary Garceau
Organizer
Monroe, NC