Do I hear THREE dollars!

We’ve made it to our spring campaign. And I’d like to say THREE things in this letter (please consider taking this moment- THREE minutes at max- in your driveway, your porch, kitchen counter, wherever you’ve decided to open this letter).

1). I want to tell you a quick story. Our Garden Coordinator was out for the day a few Thursdays ago, and I filled in for her at the Farmer’s Market. Two little boys decided to join me on the porch of the Purple House that day to sell organic vegetables. So, I put them to work! And now there are THREE of us.

First customer walks up to buy butter lettuce, bok choy, and turnips, and just as I say, “That’ll be THREE dollars”, the boy to my right yells- “Do I hear THREE dollars!” Both the customer and I are trying to figure out what in the world is going on before the other one yells- “No! That’ll be THIRTY dollars!”

“THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS!” (“Ok, that’s enou-“)

“THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS!” The other one yells. (I look at the customer. We’re both stifling chuckles. “I’m so sorry.”)

“THREE MILLION DOLLARS!”

2). Our mission at CAG is THREE-fold, as we seek to inspire and cultivate the youth of Binghampton through artistic, educational, and vocational programs. As you can tell, our kids are well-acquainted with the third—that guy left giggling, and though he didn’t give us three million dollars, he did give us $10. I don’t have to explain this in depth to you, as I know that you are surely aware of how amazing our community is at Carpenter Art Garden. Our youth, staff, neighbors, and CAG community are all firmly rooted here in what must be some of the most fertile, creative, did active, and vocational soil in our city. The thing I love most about our little loving place is that EVERYONE GROWS HERE.

3). Our goal for this mid-year campaign for the need, the budget, and the sheer fun of it is to exceed $33,333. Would you please consider making a gift with the number THREE in it?! $1,003, $300, $3,333? $3?

It might seem random, this number THREE. THREE for our THREE- fold mission. THREE for the decade and year we are in (’23). THREE for the homies sitting on the porch of the Purple House selling vegetables and keeping one another company. And as you know, two is better than one… but you know that a three-fold cord is not easily broken.

We cannot grow without you.

Come grow with us, friend.

Thanks for reading!

With all my love,

Jazzy