Bountiful Harvest

august 2025

update from the team

This growing season we’ve seen more than vegetables, berries, herbs, and flowers grow - we’ve witnessed the transformation of individuals’ engagement in life. We’ve welcomed dozens of Garden Members to our land who have experienced decompression, laughter, new friendships, and found purpose. We’ve engaged Volunteers of all ages who have given their time and energy, and in exchange we’ve expanded their understanding of what healing and personal transformation can look like. We’ve donated hundreds of pounds of produce to our participants and organizations serving food insecure neighbors. Now, we’re expanding our programming, building a more intentional space, and connecting with community partners through shared purpose and mutual care.

stories from the garden

As we work in the garden, we’re also continuing to grow our knowledge of the benefits of Horticulture Therapy and Green Care. Did you know…

For those individuals who live with PTSD, experiencing physical safety is paramount throughout their day and until this is met, mental and emotional engagement is difficult to achieve. A fenced-in garden space offers this physical safety while also engaging in the wild, open space of nature. Once the body is protected, the space of the mind and heart can increase. In the quiet of the enclosed garden, one can hear their own thoughts.

The need to understand our capacity to love is a necessity for humans. For those who are navigating the effects of trauma, connection to others is often difficult. Reconnecting to our life-giving impulses by tending plants and animals, gives us the initial understanding that we do carry this ability to care for something outside ourselves. This remembering may be the first step in rebuilding interpersonal relationships.

support the fig mission

All that we offer our Garden Members is free. This is our simple reciprocal gift of gratitude for the service they have given our country and local communities. We’re reaching out during this harvest season to ask you to share your own bounty in reciprocity with us. More specifically we’re asking for financial donations and sponsorships in preparation for our own growth as an organization and tool for community healing. As we look forward to the fallow season of plants, we hope to improve our grounds to increase our impact.

Our immediate needs include:

Goat Shed - $1000

Chicken Coop & Run - $1500

Garden Fencing - $2000

Tractor - $3000

Any gift helps us continue our mission to nurture the well-being of Veterans, First Responders, and their families. Please help us protect the protectors - in reciprocity, gratitude, and as a community.

To donate please visit our website or mail a check.

319 E. Oregon Rd, Lititz, PA 17543

Together, we tend life.

In case you missed last month’s newsletter, you can find it on our website!

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First In Gardens is a community initiative of Compassion Point, a registered 501(c)(3) charity.