an overview...

An overview of my job though snip-its of a fundraiser letter I sent out:

I work for a community development ministry called East Central Ministries; we’re located in a rough neighborhood here in Abq, working at developing leaders, meeting needs, and ultimately changing the neighborhood. I work with great people, and live in an intentional Christian community of about 14 families right in the neighborhood.

My job in the last couple weeks has changed completely. My co-worker, Matt, took a job at his alma mater in Berea, KY (of all places…J) and I’m taking his job as the Growing Awareness Urban Farm Manager. The work that I do is very diverse and quite crazy, but a ton of fun. In the spring we sell veggie seedling starts—about 15,000 of them, to nurseries in town, people that drop by, and to church youth groups as fundraisers for them: promoting gardening and community development instead of candy bars! I have been learning bee keeping this spring from Matt, and now I’ll be managing 15 beehives (and likely twice that next summer). We are also a part of a federal grant that works to establish school gardens and train teachers how to integrate the garden into their curriculum.

A large part of my job is working with volunteers: anyone from church groups on a Saturday, to neighborhood folk fulfilling community service hours through the state. The ministry focuses on training indigenous and local leadership from people in the community, and in my area especially, we make a point to utilize as many volunteers as we can, and create micro-businesses: both to create jobs for our neighbors and to provide a financial income for the ministry. I’m always amazed at the diverse crowd that we are able to reach and bring together—from the conservative churches in town to the hippies of the local produce movement. For example, Tuesday I led a tour of 20 extension agents from all over the country; Monday I worked with a volunteer—a small white haired lady whose last name is Vanderwall; and Wednesday I worked with a kid who had gang tattoos and was completing 20 hours of community service. The diversity of people I work with and jobs I do are truly amazing. J

ECM is a very holistic ministry; the main goal is changing the neighborhood through long term relationships and community development work: living like Jesus—loving others—the outcasts and homeless as well as our co-workers and friends. I think it is pretty amazing I can work at a place like this and work in gardens at the same time.