Home Gardens can bring a community together

During Saint Francis’s lifetime, he once encountered a vast and beautiful wildflower meadow, which deeply captivated him.  He saw it as a powerful symbol of living in a way that respects and honors nature as God’s creation.

Inspired by this experience, he envisioned and encouraged Friars to create a garden – a harmonious blend of plants, including fruit trees and strategically positioned rows of vegetables that would bloom and flourish, providing nourishment.

When the Casa Franciscana Outreach (CFO) first initiated the Home Garden Project, the goal was to cultivate these gardens and promote self-sufficiency and a healthier living by providing nourishment, as Saint Francis had encouraged the Friars to do.  The end goal was to inspire more families to establish similar green spaces.  To do this, it was necessary to provide the first 12 families with essential resources such as seeds, young trees, tools, fencing, and a water tank.

Earlier in the year, a group of pilgrims from Arizona traveled to Guaymas to support the Franciscan Mission.  During their visit, they assisted those in need of home care and stopped by Don José’s house, one of the first recipients of the Home Garden Project.

When we entered Don José’s backyard, he proudly showed us his garden. It was filled with vegetables thriving in the scorching sun.  He pointed out his tomato plants, which were starting to bloom.

Don José has been tending to his backyard garden for a few years now.  His hard work yields fresh produce to support himself and his family, and he also sells excess produce in his neighborhood to generate additional income to cover other household expenses.

Projects such as the Home Garden can bring a community together by offering access to fresh, homegrown produce and pointing local residents toward a healthier and sustainable alternative lifestyle.

Allocating funds for the provision of essential resources is necessary to expand these gardens to additional families.  Would you consider making a generous donation to respect and honor Saint Francis’s vision?

“The triumph of a garden is not only a personal achievement but also a vital legacy to be passed down to future generations supporting the people in Guaymas, Mexico.”

Fr. Martin Ibarra, OFM