ATTACHMENT 3

December 16, 2008

Dear Active Living by Design,

At the recommendation of Chapel Hill Parks & Recreation, we are requesting that the Active Living by Design committee act as a conduit for us to work with the town to establish the HOPE Community Garden. We are requesting that the committee act as the garden’s liaison to the Town Council and submit a community garden project recommendation to the Council that suggests the project work through the Department of Parks & Recreation. This recommendation would propose the establishment of this community garden as a pilot project to explore the potential for future development of community gardens in Chapel Hill.

Attached please find the preliminary project proposal for the HOPE Garden Project. This proposal outlines the goals, methodology, management, and sustainability of the project that provides for the involvement of homeless program participants and the community at large.

We have identified the development of a conceptual plan as necessary to providing a vision for the feasibility, development, and long-term success of this community garden. Any such conceptual plan will address issues related to water, soil, space allocation, layout, Resource Conservation districts, ADA compliance, and consideration for future site usage.

Therefore, we will be working with the Department of Parks & Recreation and the NCSU Department of Horticulture to develop a conceptual plan and site analysis. A spring semester Landscape Architecture class at NCSU has agreed to generate graphics and a conceptual plan in late February or early March.

After the development of this plan, Parks & Recreation has agreed to manage initial site development. We then agree to take on managerial responsibilities for both our specific program purposes and the management of community involvement, including plot distribution and site and service management. We agree to work with the Active Living by Design committee, Parks & Recreation, the Town Council, and the community-at-large to develop the model for this community garden as a collaborative project addressing the interests of all stakeholders.

Thank you for your involvement in the project thus far and your continued willingness to discuss options for the advancement of community gardens in Chapel Hill. We would greatly appreciate your support and recommendation for the advancement of this particular garden. We look forward to working with you, and hope the success of this pilot project will ultimately encourage the development of many more community gardens in the area.

Best regards,

Maggie West                                                                                       Jon Young

[email protected] [email protected]

(919)270-5730                                                                                                (704)607-5914

HOPE (Homeless Outreach Poverty Eradication)

UNC Campus Y

HOPE Garden
Preliminary Project Proposal
December 16, 2008

Project Description:

The Campus Y committee HOPE (Homelessness Outreach Poverty Eradication) is dedicated to serving those living in poverty in the community and linking those in need with those who want to help. One of the ways the committee does this is by providing direct services to the homeless. HOPE’s previous experiences with the homeless community have demonstrated that a major obstacle to obtaining employment for the homeless is that many lack credible references and essential job skills. Beyond that, people experiencing homelessness often lack the social support and community encouragement that would give their lives momentum.

The HOPE Garden Project is designed to help overcome these obstacles by giving participants the opportunity to work alongside each other and a network of volunteers and mentors. The garden would be structured as an all-inclusive program to employ the homeless in a community garden. People living on the streets and in the shelters would apply to the program; after being accepted, they would plant, cultivate, and harvest their crop. Produce as well as value-added products would be sold on the UNC campus and in local farmers’ markets. As a part of the program, participants would be guided in methods of effective money management and saving programs. For example, a portion of the income the group earns would be put into a community fund. The participants would decide as a group how to allocate this money, potentially investing in more capital or in the needs of individuals in the group.

Beyond focusing on homelessness and poverty, the project would effectively address the issues of environmental sustainability and local food systems. The HOPE Garden would teach and practice bio-intensive agriculture, which is an organic and remarkably efficient technique for small-scale applications. Bio-intensive agriculture (BIA) creates flourishing gardens by maximizing the use of available resources and minimizing waste and expenditures. Sustainability and soil health are at the forefront of BIA. For example, BIA uses compost – a natural and balanced fertilizer – to replenish soil nutrients, resulting in healthy plants that are better able to resist pests and diseases. Close plant spacing, mulching, and deep soil preparation make the most of land and water resources. Natural pest/disease solutions and using positive plant relationships would replace chemical additives that could harm human and soil health. In addition to employing all of these components of BIA, the HOPE Garden would implement other sustainable practices such as rainwater catchment and organic beekeeping.

Training and job experience in these innovative garden methodologies will provide the gardeners with crucial skills for the current and future job market. Another way the program would prepare participants for the job market is by giving participants a means to establish their credibility. For example, participants would work according to a set schedule, demonstrating the reliability of program graduates to future employers.

HOPE Garden is intended to be established as a combination between a garden utilized for the purposes of the program and a garden that follows the traditional community garden model. A portion of the land on which the garden is located would be assigned to homeless program participants, while another portion would be rented as individual plots to community members. Community members using these plots would have access to all of the program’s tools and resources, along with the training and expertise garden staff offer to program participants. Staff would identify set weekly work-hours in which plot-owners can come to the garden and have access to common resources and staff assistance.

Goals of the Project:

      The goals of the HOPE Garden Project include to:

• Provide participants with a source of income and an opportunity to accumulate savings.
• Build support networks and community for those involved in the project.
• Foster an environment that facilitates discussion and interaction between the homeless community, students, and the community at large, increasing understanding of the issues related to homelessness and poverty.
• Connect participants to a broad spectrum of social and medical services.
• Provide skills training, job experience, and resume building.
• Provide financial decision-making and management skills, encompassing savings, investments, and loans.
• Create the opportunity to maintain a productive lifestyle, giving participants the momentum needed to find full-time employment and stable housing.
• Encourage the development of local food systems.
• Teach and promote methods of bio-intensive agriculture to program participants and the local community.
• Establish an employment network connecting program participants who have been trained in bio-intensive agriculture to Chapel Hill-Carrboro residents with home gardens.

Effects on the Community:

            This project would bridge the gap between the homeowners and homeless in Chapel Hill and Orange County by fostering collaboration and an environment of inclusion. Rather than a traditional volunteer system of the server and the served, homeowners and homeless would work together with a common goal and a shared experience that would encourage genuine discussion and understanding of the issues of homelessness and poverty. This connection will initiate solution-oriented action.

            The ways in which the HOPE Garden would be linked directly to the community include:

a. Inviting community members to lease or sponsor a plot in the garden.

b. Creating a common space for community enjoyment and as a venue for public events.  The location would include a serenity garden with a gazebo, benches, barbeque pit, and a rose garden.

c. Providing BIA training for the local community.  This knowledge would encourage home gardens that would create a degree of independence from rising food prices. Furthermore, replacing lawn grass with home gardens spares excessive water, petroleum, and chemical use.

Effects on the University:

            The HOPE Garden would integrate the University and the town of Chapel Hill through student internships, volunteer opportunities, and educational programs in the garden. Furthermore, the garden will provide students on campus with local and organic food options.

Program Sustainability:

            In the first stage of this project, the garden would hire a few homeless individuals to be the pilot program participants. Initially, HOPE plans to employ student interns through institutions such as APPLES and the UNC Environmental Institute to manage and supervise the garden. This partnership between the HOPE Garden and these well-established organizations would provide the garden with consistent support and competent management. In the long run, HOPE also plans to provide a stipend to one employee who would manage the garden on a full-time basis. After graduating from the program, HOPE would link participants with employment opportunities that utilize their newly acquired skills in both commercial and residential settings.

Furthermore, HOPE is an established committee of the UNC Campus Y, with renewed and increased membership each year. Recognizing that current committee members will graduate, the committee will ensure that the project and committee participation in the project continues beyond the next few years and is maintained as a permanent initiative. HOPE will elect a Garden Coordinator annually to oversee interns, volunteers, and program participants. The Garden Committee will manage fundraising initiatives and function as a consistently strong volunteer base for the garden.

Proposal Contributors:

David Baron                                                                                       Megan Strickland

Garden Coordinator, HOPE                                                               Co-Chair, HOPE

[email protected] [email protected]

Jonathan Young                                                                                  Maggie West

Chair of Media Productions, HOPE                                                   Co-Chair, HOPE

[email protected] [email protected]