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A person who recently signed up to volunteer for Journeywork commented that she "enjoyed the feeling of investing in the future."
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Exactly! Coming together for a couple of hours to plant native perennials or prepare a bit of land for spring planting feels like building the future we want to see. And we all need that grace and joy.
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And come together we have! In 2023 our 67 volunteers have given 222 hours to remove invasive plants, outreach at Earth Day events and fall festivals, spread cardboard and mulch to prepare new beds, and add 1,129 native plants to eight locations in Montgomery County.
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Through our Pollinator Palooza project, 45 households and one congregation will be adding 1,456 flowering native perennials to their landscapes in the spring.
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I have explained our model and mission to hundreds of people this year, and I am often asked, “So, do you give away the plants?”
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No. Participating yard owners pay for the plants, but what if we could give them away? What if we could become plant fairies and offer plant grants to schools and municipalities who do not have the money in their budgets and would need to wait a year or more to accept our services? What if we could cut through the budget cycle in favor of the life cycle and build our climate resilience faster? What if we could provide plants to low-income neighborhoods?
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Thanks to the generosity of donors last year, we were able to buy tools and gloves that have been put to good use by our volunteers. With your help this year, we would like to raise $5,000 to offer plant grants to schools, municipalities, neighborhood associations, and nonprofit organizations. Your gifts will also enable us to offer training for volunteers and public works crews and to provide outreach and curriculum connections to schools.
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A gift of $56 enables us to offer plants for a 4X12 pollinator garden. A gift of $75 allows us to buy three native shrubs. No gift is too small--a gift of $10 buys 5 plants. We appreciate every gift.
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As of Giving Tuesday, we have raised $766 so far. Your donations will be matched up to $2,000 thanks to a generous matching grant from one Journeywork supporter.
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Native plants anywhere help all of us. They improve air quality, help infiltrate stormwater, increase biodiversity, and reduce the use of fossil fuels. They also fill in the gray of our world with the intangible colors of hope, beauty, and wonder.
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If you have valued this monthly newsletter, please consider making a contribution. If you have already made a donation, thank you!
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With tremendous gratitude,
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Volunteer opportunity on 12/9
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We are going back to Lower Gwynedd to finish sheet mulching on Saturday, December 9 from 1:00-3:00. The weather forecast right now looks delightful. We will supply the gloves and tools--please join us! Register here, and we will send you the address.
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Journeywork gifts for the holidays
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We are offering a couple of great gifts on our website: a beautifully illustrated book for children ages 6-10 and some quality t-shirts in three groovy colors. And we ship!
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If Journeywork inspires you to sheet mulch, start seeds, or plant some native plants in your yard, please send us a picture! Let's celebrate and support each other!
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Our wish list
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Rubbermaid bins with lids for storing gloves and tools
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clean, gently used 5-gallon buckets
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