By TRACIE WHITE / Special
to the Mercury News
after
25 years as a mother and wife, Molly suddenly found herself alone,
without a husband, a home or any source of income.
"I was living on the edge of despair,'' says Molly, 53, mother
of three, remembering back about four years ago.
Diagnosed for the first time as paranoid schizophrenic, Molly
was living in her car in Santa Cruz. She began to hear voices of
children crying. She would disappear into catatonic states for hours
at a time.
Molly is one of many people who have turned to the Homeless Garden
Project to find solace in the soil. Since 1990, the project has
helped homeless men and women overcome trauma, addiction, mental
illness and financial hardship.
Each year, trainees work on the project's organic farm, growing
vegetables and flowers, or in its floral workshop making wreaths,
dried flower arrangements, and other crafts to sell. With the help
of the staff, most find housing, some find employment, others go
back to school or get help dealing with health issues.
"Within two months of working at the garden ... I could feel myself
resurfacing,'' Molly wrote in a letter of support to the project.
"The incredible women at the project gave unconditionally of themselves:
their compassion, their strength and their wisdom. I stopped crying.
And the voices that had been my constant companions were seldom
there. A true feeling of self-worth and peace entered my soul.''
Molly has found low-income housing, but she still comes to the
project for support. While no longer a trainee, she is still sometimes
hired to work at the holiday store when the project can afford to
pay her. She still makes crafts -- garlands, angels, wreaths, picture
frames -- still works in a garden, and still struggles daily with
her mental illness.
And the garden project is still there for her.
"I am convinced that the safe haven and the scent of lavender (at
the garden project) replaced my anxiety pill,'' she wrote.
The stagnant economy has forced the project to cut back on trainee
positions. Donations
of $177 will pay for one week's wages. Each $250
donation provides for a year's worth of benefits for one trainee
(including dental care and bus passes). Gifts
of $39 will cover tools and supplies for one trainee for a year.
For
more information on the Homeless
Garden Project, go to
www.homelessgardenproject.org.
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