Well House provides housing for people who have extreme difficulties finding a place to live. Sometimes finding housing is difficult because someone is not sober, Well House doesn't demand sobriety of its residents. It encourages it and helps people find help, but it doesn't demand it. Well House meets people where they're at and helps by focusing on their strengths and present, not on their past.
Peppers and Tomatoes /Roberta F. King
Tomatoes and Kale
Well House is celebrating the harvest with a community block party on Saturday, September 21 from noon to 4 pm at Well House, 600 Cass SE. The event is free and anyone is welcome to join Well House tenants, volunteers, board members and neighbors in the celebration.
“We’re celebrating the first harvest with our new and expanded urban farming program. We were able to grow food for our tenants, some of our neighbors and sold extra produce at local farm markets,” Tami VandenBerg, executive director of Well House said. “An urban farm is more than a ‘nice’ thing to do. It provides good, healthy food for people who’ve been without access, some for many years. It provides a skill-building work environment and shows our neighborhood that our yards and open space can be used for community good,” said VandenBerg.
More than half of the food at the party will be provided from the Well House urban farms, the rest has donated from local farms and vendors that support the work of Well House.
On the menu is corn on the cob, collard greens, pasta and green salads, Well House’s salsa, black beans and tortilla chips and grilled hot dogs. There will be live music, games for the kids and a photo wall. People will be able to tour Well House’s properties and learn first hand from tenants and staff about Well House’s housing first model.
“Well House presently provides housing for 12 homeless people—they pay rent for their room and shared living space and have the option to work on the farm or other housing-centric projects,” said VandenBerg. “We’re growing, too. We expect to have another house open in October,” she said.
Disclosure: Roberta King is a Well House Board member.
The Rapidian, a program of the 501(c)3 nonprofit Community Media Center, relies on the community’s support to help cover the cost of training reporters and publishing content.
We need your help.
If each of our readers and content creators who values this community platform help support its creation and maintenance, The Rapidian can continue to educate and facilitate a conversation around issues for years to come.
Please support The Rapidian and make a contribution today.
