About the EarthLinks Workshop Program
The EarthLinks Workshop is a social-enterprise program where participants who are homeless and low-income do organic gardening and create Earth-friendly products, and are paid an hourly stipend for their work. Participants work weekly in our Peace Garden and craft workshop, and set and work toward achieving personal goals, such as acquiring housing, staying in recovery, pursuing education, or working on personal relationships.
Stats from 2020...
61
Individuals in the Workshop Program
3,428
Hours of engagement in the Program
1,334
Pounds of produce harvested
8
Beehives maintained
$27,493
Earned by Participants
2,270
Day bus passes disbursed
900+
Breakfasts
Served
4,664+ Earth-friendly products created
Healing people and the planet
We all need to be connected to one another and to the Earth Community in order to be whole. The interface with nature and the creative process is centering and healing, offering inner peace and balance, which benefit us all. For members of our community working toward improved mental health and wholeness in their lives, the feeling of belonging and acceptance brings encouragement on the road to recovery.
In Workshop, participants steward an organic garden and craft artisan products from sustainable materials. The products are sold in the EarthLinks storefront or online and proceeds are returned to participants as stipends for their work. To find and maintain secure housing and to meet other basic needs, participants have full, onsite access to professional case-management, peer-support, and housing placement services. All working and learning takes place alongside a supportive community of peers.
Pam's Testimonial
"I love being around all of the growth and the nature at EarthLinks, it’s an electricity in a way, it gives off its own energy, so I come here and suck it all in because downtown there is not much at all, I come here to recharge. I’m proud to say that I work here, I represent. EarthLinks is more than just a garden- it’s family, it’s support, it’s people who love me even when I didn’t love myself, and my family didn’t at that point either. I wouldn’t be where I am without this community, I don’t even know if I would be alive."
BENEFITS OF THE EARTHLINKS WORKSHOP PROGRAM
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Participate in meaningful work that benefits Earth
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Earn a small, consistent stipend that you will receive once a month
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Be given the support to cultivate self-confidence within yourself and discover your creativity
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Belong and contribute to a community of caring people
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Work as a team and practice conflict resolution
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Learn organic gardening techniques, including making healthy soil, planting and harvesting
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Learn other useful skills like composting, woodworking, and beekeeping
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Develop leadership skills and training
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Acquire a reference or letter of recommendation for future employment (if appropriate)
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Receive case management assistance in navigating housing, benefits, and food access