Garden Letter

To Whom It May Concern,

Thank you for your generous support of Wellspring Counseling Ministries! The life-changing impact our therapists and interns have on lives has been made possible through your faithfulness. Over the last few years, our ministry has recognized the need for a full-time Counseling Director position and a Counseling Intern position. However, Wellspring is a grass-roots non-profit organization that operates on a small business model rather than a fundraising model. this means we do not actively raise funds beyond the payments we receive for the direct services we provide. Our counselors start part-time and typically take about 3 years to build a caseload that can support the costs of their full-time position. Because we do not have the resources to pay a full-time salary at the beginning and through the 3-year growth period, many of our therapists and interns have had to accept employment with a secular county, state, or other agency to get the salary and benefits they need to support themselves and their families.

As we prayed for guidance, the Lord opened a door for us to begin Wellspring Charitable Gardens, a farm to table micro-enterprise that contributes 100% of all proceeds to our counseling ministry.

God provided the property and raised a team of staff and volunteers to grow and sell fresh produce to individuals and restaurants in our area. We started with a small group of "test customers" who have generously given "seed money" to begin our farm! Our foundation has been laid, and I'm reaching out to invite you to join our ministry by praying, donating, and/or volunteering. This is an exciting and pivotal time for Wellspring as we invest in a more financially independent future.

I am inviting you to consider becoming a Garden Donor, Investor, or Subscriber for our next season. Donors contribute to the project without receiving produce on a regular basis. Investors pay $150, $250, or $500 and recieve produce on a regular basis delivered to their doorstep. For example, as a Garden Investor at the prepaid $500 level, you receive your farm to table produce delivered to your doorstep each week over three months during that season's harvest. Subscriber's pay $35 per box as needed.

Our test customers have enjoyed a delightful harvest from their investment and are looking forward to the coming seasons. Remember, an investor shares in the benefits and risks of farming. When we have a bumper crop, you enjoy its bounty, but when weather is inclement or pestilence strikes a crop, you share the loss with us.

If the Donor or Investor level is not a good fit for you right now, but you'd like to receive our fresh farm to table produce, we have another option. We can serve as your personal produce stand. You simply pay $35 per week, every other week, or once a month as prearranged and then pick up your box at a designated Modesto location. We are limiting the number of customers to 40, so the first who send in their checks will be at the top of our recipient list. The amount of produce that can be planted is directly proportional to the number of pre-paid customers. Therefore, your quick reply with a donation of any amount will help us plan and prosper as we now begin the process of planting seeds for our winter garden. Your check holds your place on our list of recipients. Any customers that exceed our limit of 40 will be placed on a waiting list. If our produce is abundant, we will grow the maximum number of participants along with our garden.

Our garden is based on our faith that Jesus, our Master Gardener, will provide what He desires. On behalf of the countless hurting children, women, men and families who have and will directly benefit from our counseling and recovery resources, I thank you for your prayerful consideration and support.

With Gratitude,

Cindi J. Martin, LCSW

Founder and Director, Wellspring Counseling Ministries

A Project of United Charitable, Tax ID # 20-4286082

"God's work done in God's way will never lack God's provision."

-J. Hudson Taylor