"Seeds Of Peace" Annual Campaign
Sow seeds of peace to nurture art and community
🌱Growing Things That Last🌱
Dear Friends,
At Carpenter Art Garden (CAG), we’ve learned that peace doesn’t arrive fully grown—it must be planted, nurtured, and fiercely protected. For almost 15 years, we’ve cultivated spaces in Binghampton where children can grow art, grow food, and most importantly, grow into themselves. Today, we invite you to help us plant a new season of seeds.
Seeds of Peace Programming is more than a program—it’s a movement. We are planting a mixed variety pack of seeds in every child we serve:
- Seeds of Confidence in children who have never been told their voice matters.
- Seeds of Creativity in schools where art has been cut from the curriculum.
- Seeds of Hope in neighborhoods carrying grief, trauma, and loss.
- Seeds of Possibility & Purpose in teens who believe their only choices are to survive, not to dream.
- Seeds of Joy & Safety in places where play is rare and safe spaces are scarce.
- Seeds of Financial Empowerment through paid apprenticeships where passion and income can coexist.
These seeds answer real problems: isolation, limited opportunity, silenced stories, and communities starved of color and expression. Through murals, gardens, field trips, mentorship, and apprenticeships, our young people are rewriting the narrative of their neighborhood—from “forgotten” to flourishing.
This year, we pursued an exciting campaign to raise $345,000 to fully grow Seeds of Peace. As we reach the end of our fiscal year, we have now launched our summer end-of-fiscal year campaign, "Growing Things That Last," where we are boldly pursuing our end of year goal of raising $100,000 to sustain and expand this vital work.
Thanks to the generosity of a special group of supporters (Anne & Mike Keeney, Mark & Linda Hamilton, Dr. Jeff & KC Warren, and five other anonymous donors), every gift made now through July 31st will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000!
Double Your Impact
That means your donation can go twice as far in helping young people discover their creativity, build confidence, develop leadership skills, and access life-changing opportunities.
💛 A gift of $50 becomes $100
💛 A gift of $250 becomes $500
💛 A gift of $1,000 becomes $2,000
There has never been a better time to invest in the future of Carpenter Art Garden and the young people we serve.
There are 3 ways you can help:
#1 Become a Monthly Seed Planter
Monthly giving provides dependable support that helps our programs thrive year-round. 🌱
🌱 $25/month – Creativity Grows
Provides art supplies and creative experiences for youth.
🌿 $50/month – Community Grows
Supports gardening, wellness, and enrichment activities.
🌳 $75/month – Leaders Grow
Helps provide mentorship and workforce development opportunities.
🌻 $100+/month – Hope Grows
Creates lasting opportunities for young people throughout the year.
🌺#2 Join the Seeds of Hope Leadership Giving Circle🌺
Join this community of visionary supporters who are helping us cultivate sustainability as we approach our 15 years and beyond.
Giving Circle Levels
🌳Garden Guardian – $15,000+
🌿Grove Patron – $5,000+
🌸 Bloom Benefactor – $1,500+
Every contribution, regardless of size, helps us continue growing opportunities for young people in our community—and every dollar donated before July 31 will be matched.
As we look ahead, I am filled with gratitude for everyone who has helped shape Carpenter Art Garden's story. Whether you have volunteered, donated, attended an event, partnered with us, or simply cheered us on, thank you for being part of this journey. 🙌🏾
The seeds planted over the past fourteen years have created a strong foundation. Together, we can ensure that those seeds continue to grow into something even greater.
Thank you for believing in our youth, our community, and our mission.
With gratitude,
Ayanna Murray
Interim Executive Director
Carpenter Art Garden
P.S Don't forget that your gifts are matched so give online today or mail checks to: Carpenter Art Garden P.O. Box 11529 Memphis, 38111 and help us reach our $100,000 goal by July 31!
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