Steve Yarabek has designed a garden lush with trees, flowers and shrubs for the renovated Darmstadt Shelter for the Homeless. "At first people were surprised to see such a grand garden planned for this industrial neighborhood," says Yarabek, whose firm, Hudson and Pacific Design, will create the garden this spring. "I wanted to design the best damn garden I could. This may be the first time some people get to live in a garden."

In fact, this past summer, residents showed their enthusiasm for gardening, planting a variety of vegetables right at the front door of the Darmstadt Shelter. "People were excited. Many had never planted anything before," said Shelter Director Liz Hogan. "The kids loved it. They had their own flowers to plant and everyone wanted to weed. We picked tons of tomatoes and green beans and had lots of herbs and even sunflowers. We can't wait for spring to come."

FAMILY is encouraging people who love gardening to help with the project. Alfred Blough and Andreas Loewenthal, students at the Maple Ridge Bruderhof High School in Ulster Park, have started an array of perennials from seeds which will go into the garden this May. Teacher David Moody's class on current issues raised the youths' awareness about homelessness in Ulster County. Both learn horticulture at school and volunteered to help with the garden after a visit to Moody's class by FAMILY'S  Executive Director Michael Berg.