Caridad founder Meredith Spriggs gives Hennley Marting, 6, a sticker during the opening ceremony for the Caridad Gardens at Bunkhouse Saloon in downtown Las Vegas, Monday, Nov. 11, 2019.
Monday, Nov. 11, 2019 | 9 p.m.
A new garden therapy, training and employment program for homeless veterans in Las Vegas aims to help them reintegrate into the workforce while providing downtown businesses with freshly grown produce.
Las Vegas-based homelessness charity Caridad launched Caridad Gardens, an indoor urban gardening program for veterans, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Bunkhouse Saloon on Veterans Day. In partnership with Fergusons Downtown, Caridad Gardens will train participating veterans to grow produce and then sell it to local restaurants throughout downtown Las Vegas.
"We are very excited to be working with Caridad," said Jen Taler of the Zappos-funded initiative Fergusons Downtown. "This is such a great partnership for us, and one of our first to go into."
An estimated 10 veterans will participate in the program as it gets off the ground, receiving $10 an hour for their labor, said Meredith Spriggs, president of Caridad. The United States Veterans Initiative is helping Caridad identify area veterans who have had a difficult time maintaining a job in an effort to serve those who need employment assistance the most, Spriggs said. U.S. Vets has also committed to house the participants.
"We want to take the really, really hard-to-help people first, and we know that's going to take a little bit more of our attention," she said.
Caridad Gardens aims to offer veterans a low-barrier employment opportunity, meaning that participants won't be fired for missing a day of work, Spriggs said. The initiative will also be therapeutic, focusing on connecting participants to needed services.
Produce will be grown year-round in an indoor hydroponic shipping container leased by Fergusons Downtown to Caridad for free and stationed in the patio area of the Bunkhouse Saloon on 11th Street. The bar and concert venue is home to Gaucho's Sacred Flowers, one of many local food vendors that will purchase and cook the produce grown at Cardidad Gardens, Spriggs said.
"All of these downtown spots are supporting us, and that's awesome," she said.
Caridad Gardens is only growing sprouts now, but plans to add mint, basil and habanero peppers to its inventory later this month, Spriggs said. The selection was based on feedback from partnering restaurants and food vendors.
"We asked everybody, 'What can't you keep in stock?' And everybody said basil and mint," Spriggs said.
Caridad founder Meredith Spriggs receives a plaque from Amy Jones of Royal Neighbors of America during the opening ceremony for the Caridad Gardens at Bunkhouse Saloon, downtown, Monday, Nov. 11, 2019. Spriggs also received a $10,000 Nation of Neighbors grant from Royal Neighbors of America to put towards her non-profit organization.
Caridad Gardens is being supported by a $10,000 grant from Royal Neighbors of America, a woman-led life insurance company that recognizes woman making a difference in their community. The organization selected Spriggs as a recipient of this year's Nation of Neighbors Award and Empowerment Grant.
"One of our members nominated Meredith (Spriggs), because she believed in the work Meredith was doing with the garden and with our homeless vets," said Amy Jones, director of philanthropy at Royal Neighbors of America.
Another partner is Downtown Faith, a faith-based community organization. Downtown Faith is raising money to help cover marketing costs for Caridad Gardens, said pastor and founder Jeremy Martin.
"We're big fans of everything Meredith does," Martin said. "We think she has common-sense, compassionate solutions to homelessness."
