Goodness Grows News

Newsletter #7

No shortage of autumn tasks to be done here at Goodness Grows! Our staff, clients, volunteers, and classes have been hard at work. At this time of year, plants get pulled up and composted, gardens get tilled, cover crops are planted, beds are covered with straw...and so much more! We even squeezed in some time for decorating because, as you know, all work and no play isn't the way to go!

Our time with the students ends this week. We always enjoy having them here and it is hard to say good-bye. The schools bring the classes to Goodness Grows to spend time out in the community, learn life skills, gain skills for future employment, and enjoy different experiences than a school setting can provide. Goodness Grows benefits in so many ways from these school visits. The amount of hard work and effort the participants pour into every task given to them is amazing to watch. We appreciate all they have gotten done this fall and we cannot wait until spring brings their return! Thank you to each and every student, teacher, and staff member!

Our pumpkin harvest was not a big success this year, but we still had plenty of mini pumpkins and gourds with which to play! Our three classes enjoyed some time to test out their art skills by painting their own pumpkin creations. Even some of the teachers got into the act! Our own staff and clients also celebrated the season by painting a few of their own. Now our facility, as well as some of our homes, get to enjoy all the colorful and imaginative pumpkin art.

Our head intern, Claire, will soon be leaving us. We appreciate all the hard work, time, effort, and heart she has poured into Goodness Grows. Though we won't see her day to day, she will be remaining on our board! We look forward to continuing to work with her and benefit from her knowledge and experience. Our Crestview friends brought a party with them, to celebrate Claire and the impending arrival of her brand new baby! It was a fun lunchtime, full of delicious cupcakes, baby shower paper goods, and thoughtful gifts. A big thank you to the Crestview folks!! And, a big thank you to Claire for being awesome!! We sure will miss working with her daily, but we wish her growing family all the best.

We had a bumper crop of catnip this summer. Our clients, and some of the students, have been working on harvesting and drying it for use in cat toys. One of our fun inside tasks is to stuff fish and mice (sewn by a volunteer) with poly-fill and cat nip, then sew up the opening by hand. These handmade toys are then packaged, labelled, and saved for sale at craft shows, markets, and at Reach for the STARS in Salem, Ohio. We have holiday themed toys, like the Halloween one that Tori is holding up in the photo to the left, as well as a wide range of other fun fabrics. These toys are sure to be a hit with your favorite feline friends!

Our clients and staff have spent some time caring for caterpillars and butterflies this year. They built a caterpillar house and have kept it stocked with leaves, branches, water, and several different types of caterpillars. We were lucky enough to observe the cycle of life several times, as chrysalises were formed, butterflies hatched, and were then released to fly free. Currently, we have some 'woolly bear' caterpillars in our little house, ready to over-winter in style!

Goodness Grows is a faith-based non-profit that has grown out of the commitment of care to work creatively with community groups, congregations, workplaces, and individuals. Goodness Grows is committed to promoting human services through creation care, service, and education for people of all abilities.

Email: kitty@goodnessgrows4all.org
Website: www.goodnessgrows4all.org/
Location: 2310 West South Range Road, North Lima, OH, United States
Phone: 330-549-9408
Facebook: facebook.com/GoodnessGrows4all/
Twitter: @GGrows