Gardeneers Americorps Members: Help Us Grow Abundance

I write to you not just as an Americorps member, but as someone who believes deeply in the Garden Education work we do—work rooted in growth, care, and community. Right now, our garden is withering. About 25 of our coworkers are on Americorps stipends, our last Americorps stipend (on 2/21/25) was withdrawn from our accounts by Gardeneers on 2/26, leaving many of us in the negative, unable to pay for rent, food, or healthcare. This is not just a financial crisis—it is a moral failure.

We came to Gardeneers to plant seeds of change, to nurture communities, and to grow something beautiful. But how can we tend to others when we can’t even feed ourselves? How can we cultivate abundance when we’re drowning in scarcity? It’s inhumane. It’s unacceptable.

This is a moment that demands action. If Gardeneers as an organization cannot—or will not—fix this, then it falls on us, as a community, to step up and care for our own. Just as a garden thrives when each plant supports the others, we too must lean on each other to survive. I am asking you, my colleagues, to dig deep and help. Donate or loan whatever you can, no matter how small. For those of you in more stable positions, your support make a huge difference for our coworkers keeping their homes or going hungry.

Funds raised will go directly to the most vulnerable among us—those who are facing eviction, struggling to put food on the table, or unable to afford basic necessities. This is about ensuring that no one is left behind.

I’ve already loaned hundreds of dollars to my peers, despite earning only $37,000 a year. When my great aunt passed and left me an inheritance, I didn’t hesitate to give a portion of it toward the GoFundMe. Because this isn’t about charity—it’s about solidarity. It’s about looking at each other and saying, “I see you, I care about you, and I won’t let you fall.”

We are a community built on the belief that from small seeds, great abundance can grow. But abundance doesn’t happen by accident—it takes care, effort, and shared resources. Let’s come together now to ensure that no one is left behind. Let’s water each other’s roots so we can all rise.

Please, if you have the means, contribute to the fund. Share it. Talk about it. Do whatever you can to help. We cannot let this moment define us with failure. Let it define us with compassion, courage, and action.

With hope, determination, and unwavering solidarity,

Sawyer Muir

Americorps Member