Veteran w/PTSD Single Parent Relief
My name is Damon. I'm a single parent, and a veteran. The reason that I'm starting this campaign is to ensure that my son doesn't have to go through another bout of homelessness. We've been homeless, off and on, from 2009-2016, so far. I have been unable to work for some time, due to the responsibilities of caring for my son without supporting family, rehabilitation from physical injury, and work recovering from PTSD and childhood abuse. It's been a long road.
My plan is a multi-tiered approach to achieving stable income and basic financial independence. My goal is to provide a stable home, mentorship, and guidance for my son, while avoiding further emotional, developmental, and traumatic hardship. I'd like to give him the chance to see that, with proper effort and planning, success is within his grasp, with unconditional love and support, both of which I was denied by my own family. I missed out on unconditional love, and support, in my family, as well as critical life lessons about the value of working hard to succeed. I have love and support covered, and provide everything else that I can, given our circumstances; however, opportunities for learning financial responsibility and independence are limited.
I hope to implement a permaculture yard care operation. All of the competition locally uses 'scorched earth' tactics with RoundUp, chemical supplementation, unsustainable imported grass varieties, and the like. I studied botany at Bismarck State College, after having a lot of training in organic farming from extended family when I was young. I've also done a great deal of research on local grass variants, landscaping foliage, and the requirements they have.
Proper yard care is easy, it's just a lost art these days. If you use native plants, and maintain a good layer of organic matter (humus), toxic, and environmentally harmful (now proven carcinogenic, as well) methods of yard care are simply not necessary. Soil is a living mixture; it is its own biome. Conventional lawn care destroys this balance, and introduces a fragile monoculture, which is dependent on regular infusions of chemicals to remain aesthetically pleasing. It is, in fact, much cheaper and easier in the long term to have a balanced ecosystem in your yard. The mix of materials and species which exist in a healthy soil biome generate what is needed on their own, with minimal need for supplementation. Most people get their information on this subject from advertising; natural yard care doesn't generate profit on the sale of trademarked chemicals, which may be why it is comparatively unknown.
The Plan
Step 1: With $100-150 of the proceeds, I can purchase one used lawnmower (in fair condition), and ensure that it's received proper maintenance. If funds exceed this, to the amount of approximately $200, I should be able to get a mower with mulching capabilities (key to the permaculture aspect), along with a reel (human powered-- no engine), in order for my son to assist. This will allow us to start bringing in income, while being a key way for my son to learn good work ethics, while having healthier summers. I think it would, also, be a great way to sneak in some lessons in money management while spending 'lesson-free' time together during the summer.
Step 2: Many clients will not want on-site mulching, despite the benefits. I've found that bare-bones used trailers (primarily the used pickup bed type), run for between $175 and $300 here. Loading a standard Jeep with the clippings would be difficult, necessitate more trips to the composting dump, and would increase our expense and time overhead. A trailer will vastly increase the number of contracts that we can handle.
Step 3 (done): Raking materials would be the next investment; however, due to faithful online searching for used tools being given away and sold at serious discount, we have already got our equipment for the fall season covered. We will, of course, have to limit the size of the propeties that we're able to work with, with these antiquated hand tools.
Step 4: Despite the attempt to get this enterprise started while summer is young, I fear that winter will be upon us before we know it. It will be necessary to start planning for snow removal this winter. We already have shovels; however, it may be necessary to invest in a [hopefully eco-friendly] snow blower, in order to be able to handle enough property to keep us pulling in sufficient income over the winter months.
Step 5: Funds will have to be put into fuel & equipment maintenance for the season. This will be running in parallel will step 4, above.
Step 6 (ongoing throughout the entire process): Upon the receipt of the first pledge or donation, updates will be posted, at least weekly, regarding our progress: our number of clients, the advertising situation, what has been done with the funding that we're working with, and our equipment inventory, for starters. You will be able to see us grow as a result of your altruism. If website updates don't work well for you, as a donor, we will also be compiling a list of email addresses from donors wishing to be notified of our status updates privately. All of these updates will also contain photographic inventories of our equipment, so that you can literally see what tools and abilities you've put into our hands.
The Future
I have a passion for horticulture, permaculture, and botany, and would love to see this grow into a lasting business. When profit margins allow, I believe it would be in our best interests to aquire insurance and LLC status, in order to secure legal protection on our investments and labor. Beyond this, I plan to add capability to rebuild the biome of a yard. This would include soil testing, tilling, removing previously established foliage (including stump removal-- with rented equipment), scentless composting, humus building, seed spreading with natural (indigenous) blends that are appropriate for the soil composition and local climate, optional care through seedling stages until the biome is established, reintroduction of missing biome species, facilitating soil health, and water, mineral, and nutrient retention. I'm certainly happy to add annual & perennial flower beds, as well as permanent landscaping to the mix, as well.
About the photos:
The shot at the top is the left half of my balcony now...
The one that follows was just a few weeks ago:
Here's the right half of my balcony now:
