A Garden for Kate
Donation protected
A short time ago I met a lovely woman at Bedford Park Community Garden. She was walking her dog and stopped to admire the garden. She looked at the herbs wistfully and told me how so longed to have a garden of her own.
We got to chatting and I went on to tell her a bit about what we do at the garden and I invited her to the upcoming workshop I thought she might enjoy. Kate, politely declined explaining that she couldn't afford it.
She looked sad, I felt there was something more there. She started to open up to me and honestly, I was moved to tears by her story.
Kate had cancer... The treatment was costly and it took her strength from her. That however was but the tip of the iceberg. You see Kate was no stranger to cancer, her mother was a survivor, her sister went through hell and Cancer eventually took her from the world. As a single mother, her sister left behind two children who Kate and her family took into their home. Kate's Father in law had also moved in after the sudden death in the family bringing the house hold to a massive 7 people. This required an extension to be built to accommodate them all. Kate is trying to be strong for her sister's children as well 's her own family.
It was too much. All this, and here she was, wanting for nothing more than to be able to grow some food and have a flower garden for the children to look out onto. Something to brighten their mornings.
I didn't hesitate, I offered to build her a garden there and then... and I will! I have insisted the help of a team of permaculture students keen to help me design and build the garden. We have already sourced some materials and met with Kate to see her space and hear hear ideas. The renovation has left her yard a desert scape of bare clay and rubble.
Please, any little contribution will help. We plan to make every dollar stretch as far as we can by using reclaimed materials where possible and all the labor will be done by volunteers.
This kind gentile woman, and her family could really use a little love. Help us bring them an endless source of joy in a garden full of colour to feed their souls and food to fill their bellies.
We got to chatting and I went on to tell her a bit about what we do at the garden and I invited her to the upcoming workshop I thought she might enjoy. Kate, politely declined explaining that she couldn't afford it.
She looked sad, I felt there was something more there. She started to open up to me and honestly, I was moved to tears by her story.
Kate had cancer... The treatment was costly and it took her strength from her. That however was but the tip of the iceberg. You see Kate was no stranger to cancer, her mother was a survivor, her sister went through hell and Cancer eventually took her from the world. As a single mother, her sister left behind two children who Kate and her family took into their home. Kate's Father in law had also moved in after the sudden death in the family bringing the house hold to a massive 7 people. This required an extension to be built to accommodate them all. Kate is trying to be strong for her sister's children as well 's her own family.
It was too much. All this, and here she was, wanting for nothing more than to be able to grow some food and have a flower garden for the children to look out onto. Something to brighten their mornings.
I didn't hesitate, I offered to build her a garden there and then... and I will! I have insisted the help of a team of permaculture students keen to help me design and build the garden. We have already sourced some materials and met with Kate to see her space and hear hear ideas. The renovation has left her yard a desert scape of bare clay and rubble.
Please, any little contribution will help. We plan to make every dollar stretch as far as we can by using reclaimed materials where possible and all the labor will be done by volunteers.
This kind gentile woman, and her family could really use a little love. Help us bring them an endless source of joy in a garden full of colour to feed their souls and food to fill their bellies.
Organiser and beneficiary
Jess Ness
Organiser
Heathwood VIC
Timothy Ness
Beneficiary
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