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NEWSLETTER. From Abundant Grace on June 2026. Subscribe. Donate. Volunteer.
In this modern life we get so busy with all the big things; work, family, and bills; always striving for more productivity. Unfortunately this culture makes us sick with little to no work life balance, it burns people out and keeps them on the proverbial hamster wheel of life, always trying to keep up.
Many of us cannot thrive in this environment and we struggle to find ways to break free of the wheel, we search endlessly for ways to cope with the stress and avoid disappointment. This can show itself in negative ways through substance abuse, the break down of relationships, depression, anxiety, and apathy. This fast paced life of optimization makes us all feel overwhelmed; and it is felt most by those already struggling to make ends meet, who don’t have social support, who suffer with mental or physical illness or those who simply do not fit into the societal mold. These are the people who come to us at Abundant Grace.
This wheel was created by the machine that drives our economy and society. It is always important for us to remember that we have the power to step off the wheel and make ourselves feel wholly human again. But what makes us feel human? Well, the things that come to my mind are; creativity and art, thinking and learning, human connection and love, and being one with the natural world. Now I may be biased, as my professional background is in Therapeutic Recreation, but science proves time and time again that engaging in such activities are phenomenal for mental and physical health. They build resilience, lower stress, and stimulate the mind and body.
During my five years of working at Abundant Grace I have met a wonderful myriad of characters, with all sorts of backgrounds and unique perspectives. However, a common theme is people feeling rejected by society and trying to find their own path but feeling lost. This rejection causes stress, defensiveness, and avoidance. Trying to find that unique spark in each individual that inspires them to move forward in their lives is the secret ingredient to any positive intervention with people. A lot of folks may already come with a mental health diagnosis or a substance use issue that just compounds these feelings of not fitting in and not having purpose. I always remind people that just because your life doesn’t look like other peoples that doesn’t mean it has no value. But what helps give people that feeling of value?
I notice when working with the homeless community, the focus is always on the big picture stuff; housing, employment and mental health & addiction. California follows a housing first model meaning the push is always to put people in housing and then their lives will improve. This happens whether or not the individual has the tools to navigate that change, intellectually, emotionally or financially. Unfortunately this system does not always work and you see people fail when trying to achieve these “big things.” I believe this is because we are not seeing the individual as a whole person and instead are trying to “treat” elements of their disordered life.
Homelessness actually causes changes to the brain. Studies show that the stress of chronic survival mode actually reduces grey matter, rewiring the areas that control executive decision making, emotional regulation, and conflict resolution. This change begins in as little as 90 days of living on the streets. Knowing this, we work to empower people to make positive changes for themselves through doing things that activate their inner world building resilience, emotional regulation and rewiring the brain with positive experiences.
Over the years at Abundant Grace I have been able to add to and grow programs that hit on this
exact point. Through the Value Added Apprenticeship and the Flower Squad, I have been able to share my love for creativity and play with our participants. We create products from what we grow on the farm, from fresh cut flower bouquets, to candles and salves. I am always humbled seeing our participants
engaging in learning and being creative, getting out of their comfort zone and learning new skills. We have had a few opportunities to sell to the public and by doing so, our participants get this unique opportunity to engage with the larger community and get positive feedback. There is no better confidence boost than validation and being told “good job.” This is ten fold for people that don’t often get to hear that. We went to the Half Moon Bay Farmers Market in April this year and afterward a participant pulled me to the side and thanked me for the opportunity. She said, “These programs and experiences really help me with my depression. It gives me a reason to get out of bed and feel normal.”
I was making bouquets with Flower Squad the other day and one of the gentlemen, who had constantly doubted himself, held up his bouquet to the group and exclaimed, “Look at this! My best one yet!” He was so proud of himself for pushing through the awkwardness of being new to something. I could see that spark of joy.
We also make an effort to cultivate these experiences outside of work, through our Milestones Program, with activities we call Enrichments. These are small group sessions either held at the farm, our center, or out in the community. This could be anything from yoga & mindfulness, hiking, cooking classes, art therapy or local field trips like going to TomKat Ranch for Horse Therapy. We have some participants that
come to every single one of the Enrichments that we offer, because they love being given the experience to do more in life than just working or taking care of their basic needs. It fills that human need within them. They get more social connection time, they learn a new skill, or experience a new place. Things that most of us take for granted. After every activity, people report feeling lighter, less stressed, in the moment and connected.
There is a reason for the saying “Boredom is the devil’s playground.” Giving people meaning, structure and purpose is the core of Abundant Grace’s model. We started with Job Readiness programs by transforming lives through meaningful work. As we have grown we have recognized we can go deeper with people. We can add this other layer of recognizing an individual’s humanity and feeding their mind, body and spirit to help create a more resilient person, better equipped to handle the struggles of life.
We have seen transformations in people when they first come to us defeated, tired and distrusting. But after engaging in our programs we see the light slowly creep back in, we see them being kinder to others and themselves, we see them caring about how they show up in the world and we see them feel more confident. Maybe now they feel equipped to apply for that job, to mend those strained relationships, to succeed in housing or to advocate for themselves as they take the next peaceful step to improve
their lives. Maybe now that hamster wheel of life won’t seem so daunting.
More on Abundant Grace on Coastside Buzz
Author: mdrag
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