project leader
Julia H
location
3020 S Jefferson Ave.
(St. Louis)
latest update rss
Recap and photos from our trip!

the project

Our friends in Puerto Rico need our solidarity!

We are teaming up with members of the Blue Green Earth School (BGES), a 50 acre farm and education center bordering El Yunque rainforest in Luquillo, to send a team of farmers, carpenters, and organizers from St. Louis to aid in their recovery efforts after Hurricanes Irma/Maria. Our goals are to:

    1. Send immediate resources which can be used to purchase materials needed for recovery and maintenance of the land

    2. Coordinate a 6 person delegation in the fall of 2018 to assist where possible and establish relationships between St. Louis, MO and Puerto Rico.

    3. Mutually support each other in our visions to build urban farms and schools which are dedicated to sustainable living, healing, and education

“We have been practicing sustainable construction practices since 1979--our land has spectacular views of mountains, beach and ocean, great sunrise and sunsets. On the farm there are a variety of tropical species, vegetables, fruits, hardwood timber, flowers and composting sites. We are of like minded practices with our family in St. Louis and are excited to create opportunities for intellectual and cultural exchange”

-Don Toler, founder of Blue Green Earth School

All funds will be used to coordinate our first delegation to Luquillo, Puerto Rico.  

Read more about the Blue Green Efforts and their full recovery efforts here: https://www.gofundme.com/bgesmariarelief

the steps

The $3,000 will be used to support our travel costs. We will coordinate our travel plans in July for a week long trip in August - September. After the trip, we will continue to build on relationships made in Puerto Rico by establishing ongoing communication and report backs between St. Louis and the Blue Green Earth School. 

why we're doing it

Salena Burch cares about all forms of healing people and earth. Gardener, Mentor, Community worker, weed clearer. Brings the healing energy and structure.

 

 

anya liao is an artist, gardener, and carpenter. she cares about reclaiming and healing our relationship with the land together 

 

 

RA is a CERT member, Perma-Culturalist, Master Gardener and Naturalist. Having skills in mechanics, fabrication, construction and most manners of repairs, he is interested in this cause because his Puerto Rican Family shares a common dream of a Blue water and lush green earth. He has also taken up the mantle of launching an Initiative in the mid-west that will reach the Caribbean and the rest of the globe.

 

 

Mitch Pearson is an Urban Organic Farmer, an Artist, Educationalist, Entrepreneur who grew up on an Urban Farm and is currently working to develop an Earth School model in North St. Louis County. 

 

 

Marcis Curtis works with his hands, doing carpentry, gardening at home, and making art. Habla español y él se preocupa por las comunidades afectadas por desastres ambientales.

 

 

Julia Ho is a community organizer and founder of Solidarity Economy St. Louis. She brings people together around food, farming, healing, and justice.

 

 

budget

Disbursed Budget 8.1.18

Raised = $1,790.00
less ioby Platform Fee $35.00
less ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) $51.12
Total to Disburse = $1,703.88
Support for flights = $200
Lodging and food = $1003.88
Project materials and supplies = $500

Updated Budget 5.30.18

Support for round trip flights for 6 people ($200 per person) = $1,200
Lodging ($25 / day per person) = $900
Project materials and supplies = $779
Subtotal = $2,879
ioby Platform Fee $35
ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) $86
Total to raise = $3,000

 

Original Budget

$3,000 - support to purchase a van

$3,000 - support for airfare, food and lodging for one week 

Subtotal = $6,000
ioby Platform Fee $35
Donation Processing Fee of 3% $180
Total to raise = $6,215

updates

Recap and photos from our trip!

Hey STL friends and family!

We're back home and wanted to share a few photos from our trip. We had an eventful 6 days in Luquillo and connected with some wonderful new friends at El Departamento De La Comida and El Fondo de Resiliencia (Resilience Fund), who are organizing brigades to support over 80 food projects across the island in the aftermath of the hurricanes. At our host site, we worked with our friends Don, Ana, and Lane to build a new cinder block garden bed along the mountainside and transplant a grove of breadfruit trees from their home into the El Yunque rainforest. 

These photos were taken by our friend Adnelly with El Fondo <3 Be sure to check out these local organizations if you want to learn more about and continue to support their work! 

https://www.facebook.com/departamentodelacomida/

 https://www.fondoderesilienciapuertorico.org/how-can-you-help/

         

We are so grateful for all of your support in getting us to Puerto Rico!! We couldn't have done it without you. 

In solidarity,

Julia, Salena, Anya, Marcis, Mitch, and Ra

 

 

 

 

THANK YOU! Puerto Rico Solidarity

Hi everyone, 

We want to take a moment to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for supporting our trip from St. Louis to Luquillo, Puerto Rico. Our flights are booked, our housing is set and we'll be in Luquillo from August 29-September 4! We will be focusing on building permaculture beds and helping our hosts, Don and Ana, set up a composting operation that will help them sustain their land. 

When this trip was imagined several months ago, we had no idea how we would be able to get to Puerto Rico, much less how we would have the necessary supplies and materials on hand to actually be helpful. Now we are less than a month away, and have already built relationships with several amazing people and groups who are dedicated to achieving food sovereignty and self-determination. We are so excited to connect, build, and learn with these folks and can't wait to come home and share those lessons with our St. Louis community. 

Peace and solidarity,

Julia, Salena, Marcis, Anya, Ra, and Mitch

<3

 

photos

This is where photos will go once we build flickr integration

donors

  • Jake L.
  • Anonymous
  • Melissa R.
  • Noemi Giszpenc
  • Bernice Shaw
  • Anonymous
  • Stephanie C.
  • Harper Bishop
  • Michael Sandmel
  • Shen N.
  • Jae S.
  • Chris Tittle
  • Darian W.
  • Umeme Houston
  • Jonathan Rosenthal
  • Shavaun
  • Nati
  • Christian S.
  • Becca
  • Mamatha Challa
  • Aaron Stables
  • Anonymous
  • Austin Archinal
  • Parag K
  • Janey Archey
  • Anonymous
  • Karen Yang
  • Anonymous
  • Christopher O.
  • Anonymous
  • Anonymous
  • Anonymous