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Robin282
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Recent Entries to this Blog My Garden So Far (2008)
Posted: 31 May 2008
Need 4 Seed has helped 35 families!
Posted: 31 May 2008
Short & Sour: An Admisson from Monsanto
Posted: 30 Mar 2008
If Anyone Wants to Get Involved, or Make a Request
Posted: 18 Mar 2008
...and We're Off!
Posted: 17 Mar 2008

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If Anyone Wants to Get Involved, or Make a Request

Category: Seeds for the Needy Project | Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 3:31 pm

I am happy to receive private e-mails for this project. No one is required to put personal information here. Some do not mind, but for those who do not wish to post their hardship story, just e-mail me privately.

Private message me here

Please put "Need for Seed" in the subject line.

PLEASE**** tell me how many people this is for! I would hate to send a family of 5 or 6 seeds for an individual's garden.

Let me know if you are donating or would like to be a recipient.

Although I do not know what seeds I have available at any given time, please give me information such as NO turnips or whatever. Some people just don't like some vegetables, and it would be better to save those for someone else.

If you are crazy about something not as common, say okra, please note that too. I do not mind someone saying green beans are a favorite that info will help me, and I can give more beans to that person.

I cannot fill orders as I am not a seed company. I will be saving as much as I can from my plants each year to supply this project. I will of course be growing my favorites, but I may get something you like from someone else.

Right now, I am paying for postage myself, but if this project gets huge (as I hope it does), I will not be able to front the postage and will attempt to sell my extra plants to cover it. If the project becomes really huge, I will go for non-profit status. If anyone has any suggestions for me on this please e-mail me.

A little personal information for my motivation: I was a single mom (I preferred to say "Independent Parent") for 12 years. It was tough, but I survived and climbed out of the hole by myself. There were times that I wondered if I would have lights, phone, or food. I did everything I could to make ends meet. I couldn't leave my babies, so I landscaped and took them with me. I also baked homemade bread and sold it. Doing things to help myself allowed me to keep my dignity. At the same time, I needed help too. So, I wish to give a little help and let people keep their dignity.

That said, any hardship qualifies a person to receive these seeds. A fixed income such as Social Security, single moms on aid, working people who cannot cover everything because gasoline has eaten up their food budget, fire victims, people from impoverished areas with little outside work available, people who are temporarily out of work (more time to garden!), people who do not have a hardship who would like to help other who are by requesting seed to give to the person or by growing the veggies and giving the produce to neighbors in need. Believe me, I understand hardship, and I know I have not even scratched the surface of what types of hardships people have. Just let me know in the e-mail briefly why you ask for the help. When I go for non-profit status, I believe I will need to document some of this. You do not have to share every detail--"unemployed" will do; it is up to you what you share.

I am grateful to all of you who have pledged to donate. We all appreciate your generosity.

I am also grateful to those who have made requests; this has provided us the opportunity to help, and give back.

With the seed I send, it may not be this year's seed. However, tomato seeds are viable for 5 years or more, so they would still sprout. If I think something has lost 20% or so of its viability, I will add extra seed to make sure folks get enough to eat.

Once this project gets going, I will have mostly "this year's" seed.

My main reason for this is food. I want people to be able to eat fresh, nutritious produce and feel the satisfaction of providing for themselves. All "care packages" will include a variety of vegetables to give someone a seasons worth of food. IMPORTANT!: Be sure to remember to inform me how many people you will be feeding. I am currently lining up a "care package" for a shelter that will require much more seed.

I will try to add herbs as well to the care packages. My herb garden is just starting, so I cannot guarantee this right now. In the future, I will add herbs to every care package.

If there are flower seeds available, I will throw those in for cheer. Nobody needs cheer more than someone in a hardship situation.

I am propositioning seed companies too. Frankly, I do not believe this will work until I have my non-profit status, but... I am requesting last year's seed from seed companies. I spoke with one already that says they burn all their old seed because they cannot sell it. I said to them that donating is not selling, how about that? They liked the idea, so I have to write something up. I still think the non-profit status will be the key to open those doors. Then the companies can write it off as a charitable donation. Anyone who knows the ins and outs of this, please e-mail.

Finally, after all this blabbering, I will list my requirements for the request e-mail below. This will save time, and help to keep me more organized. I have a head injury, and if I am getting dozens of e-mails and 2 people are named Beth, or something, I will get confused. This is my private e-mail, and there will be no sharing of info in any way. When I go for non-profit (unless the govt. makes it harder for me to share with people, then I won't), I may need info on the hardships situations of people who receive seed. In this case, I will still protect the identity of the person, but will request (beforehand) if I can use your story without your name. I do believe that is a long way off yet.

For the folks who donate, I would like to start a "Garden Angel" reward within the program. Right now, this is strictly in the idea phase. I will either make out certificates, or possibly have little gifts or something like that. I will happy to receive ideas in this area too. I have a website, so I will be adding pages there for this project. That way, people can see where their help is going. I would also love people to post stories and such their. Maybe someone has a community garden where they give the produce to those in need; they could post about that.

OK, enough. I think that covers everything. If anyone has a question, please e-mail me!
Thanks & Blessing to all of you!

1. Private message me here
2. Subject lie should read "Need for Seed"
3. Inform whether you are donating or requesting.
4. If donating, I will send my address right out.
5. Donations should be sent to Need for Seed c/o me etc.
6. If receiving, how many people is the request for?
7. Recipients: list likes and dislikes as a guide
8. All should include any pertinent information possible
a. Garden Forum name & page
b. E-mail addresses, info on e-mail filters so that I
can e-mail you back.
c. YOUR ADDRESS: in the first e-mail please, this will
help me keep things straight. If I have a few people with the same name, I can make out the bubble mailers right away and have the "likes & dislike" on a paper inside. Then I won't have to keep going through the e-mails to check. I do this because my short-term memory is not that good.

Keep in mind that most people have a name, a different name on their e-mail, and yet another for their forum, all different! Please let me know this so I can keep it straight.

A thousand thank you-s to all!
Robin



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Comments

Robin282 wrote on Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:21 pm:


I have set up a Yahoo! group for my project Need4Seed at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Need4Seed/

Please feel free to join.
Robin





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