"Our gardens offer food & hope to the homeless!"

Carolyn Day was so touched to meet a terminally ill man tending a garden outside the homeless shelter that she not only kept it growing when he’d gone, she planted more to feed hundreds in need—body and soul!

- Hannah Chenoweth

Carolyn Day watched as a frail, elderly man in a wheelchair rolled by her, a bucket of water balanced in his lap. Where is he headed? she wondered, watching him make his way to a garden outside California’s Santa Monica Shelter (SAMOSHEL). It happened over and over: the man steadily making his way back inside the homeless shelter, filling up his bucket and returning to tend the plants. Carolyn—a master gardener—was awed by his great care and dedication.

While continuing to visit the shelter, Carolyn finally learned his name: Jeff. They became fast friends, as he shared that he would soon be leaving for hospice. Choked with emotion, he confided how sad he was by the idea of his passing because he felt that his very first pride in life, his garden, would also fade.

Taking his hand, Carolyn made him a promise. “Don’t worry, Jeff. I’ll care for your garden for you.”

Planting a seed 

When Jeff left, Carolyn immediately went to visit the shelter’s social workers, explaining that she would be back to tend to the garden once a week. And with each visit, Carolyn noticed a growing crowd of residents gathering around, curious about what she was doing.

“Can we help?” some asked, as Carolyn welcomed them in. Soon, the crew of helpers was growing as fast as the garden itself, and they took pride in planting seeds, watering, harvesting and learning.

“They’re always asking us when the ‘Garden Lady’ is coming back!” the social workers told Carolyn excitedly. “It’s amazing. Some of these residents have never engaged in any activities here.”