GROUP VOLUNTEERING 2016

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1 GROUP VOLUNTEERING 2016 Get Dirty. Leave with Great Stories

2 Why Volunteer at The Sharing Farm? Every year groups large and small continue to come back to The Sharing Farm for their corporate retreats, company days of giving, or just to get team members outside in their community. The saying many hands make light work rings true here and we have been so grateful for all the hours put in by our dedicated group volunteers. These are some of the reasons your team might want to consider a day of volunteering at The Sharing Farm: Fun, hands-on and invigorating way to give back to your community Spend a day outside with your team members in a beautiful setting Contribute in a meaningful way by helping us to grow food for those in need Our excellent staff will guide you through an exciting day of farming activities Helping out at the farm will take you out of the office and bring you together by giving back to your community The Sharing Farm Society The Sharing Farm grows fruits and vegetables year-round for the Richmond Food Bank, community meal programs and other neighbours in need, using organic and sustainable farming methods. We will be 15 years old this year. We have been growing healthy organic produce for families in need in Richmond year-round since our inception, donating well over 230,000 pounds in that time. We have also grown as an organization, transforming from our roots as the Richmond Fruit Tree Sharing Project to a thriving farm that hosts up to 1,000 volunteers every year in Richmond. As a Food Security education centre, we have formal and informal education programs that teach new generations of urban farmers and backyard gardeners. A wide range of community groups have been blended into our volunteer program as a form of horticultural therapy. We grow our vegetables on three and a half acres in the multiple-award winning Terra Nova Rural Park in Richmond. We grow Food. We grow Farmers. We grow Community.

3 Details DATES - Available Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from April 6 till October 31. We schedule groups according to the needs of the Farm. Our greatest need is in the spring months. There is less work to do in the summer months. Book early if your group would like to come in the summer. TIMES - The farm is open from 9-5 pm. - We suggest that groups book 4 hour time slots (including snack break or lunch). Full day group volunteering is also available. Please inquire about if you want to join us for a full day. DONATION - Helps to cover coordination and material costs for the day and supports our mandate of growing healthy food for donation to the Food Bank and community meals programs. See below on how your donation helps The Sharing Farm. - Rates: $15 per person for up to a 4 hour session $20 per person for group sessions between 4 and 8 hours Groups over 60 people may have additional fees. Special exceptions may be made for non-profits and community groups.

4 WHAT S INCLUDED - Orientation and short tour of the farm - Breakout into group activities - One staff for every volunteers - Breaks for snacks and drinks (not provided by The Sharing Farm) - Use of all farm tools and materials - Partake in fun and invigorating farm-related activities - You can also arrange to eat your lunch at the farm. FACILITIES and OTHER CONSIDERATIONS - Parking instructions will be provided upon bookings. - If requested with advance notice, we may be able to book the facility next to the farm as an indoor eating space. We cannot guarantee this space will be available. - Potable Water (we ask that all groups try to bring refillable water bottles instead of plastic disposable ones) - Public washrooms are available at the farm. - Beautiful long outdoor picnic tables that seat approximately Our Cobb oven is also available for rent should you wish to have wood fired pizzas. Ask for details. - Please remove all garbage and recycling from the site after your activity. - There is an opportunity to purchase vegetables from the farm and other The Sharing Farm products from the farm at the end of your visit.

5 Volunteer Activities As we are a working-farm, it is very difficult to plan ahead exactly what a volunteer day will look like. We can provide a loose estimate as to what some of the volunteer activities for your group might look like, but cannot guarantee a day s events ahead of time. Flexibility is a farmer s best friend! Below is a look as to what some of the volunteer activities might be according to the time of year. Farm Activity APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER Making Beds moving compost, raking Mulching moving leaves to cover the soil Weeding a relaxing and fulfilling activity! Planting Harvesting and washing and packing Field Clean-Up keeping invasives away Potting up moving plants from little to big pots Garlic Planting or Harvest

6 How your donation helps The Sharing Farm Although your volunteer hours at The Sharing Farm are extremely valuable to us, it does take a lot of time and resources to host groups. In order to ensure that your team has a successful and rewarding experience at The Sharing Farm we try to ensure that there are staff and resources available to you. Donation requests may vary according to the and needs of your group. As a non-profit charity we rely on donations to cover the costs associated with operating The Sharing Farm and providing healthy food to those in need in our community. Your donation is used to cover the costs of operating the farm including the fantastic staff working with you, and also to purchase tools and materials needed to grow and distribute the food. We are able to provide official tax receipts for all donations over $50. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated and if you and your team would like to find out more ways that you can help us then please talk to a staff member. With your help The Sharing Farm can continue to grow food for our neighbors in need and provide a unique community gathering place where groups can participate in a meaningful way. Location The Sharing Farm in Richmond, BC Located in Terra Nova Rural Park Westminster Hwy.. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT OUR VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR Jennifer Cline jennifer@sharingfarm.ca

7 THANK YOU TO VOLUNTEER GROUPS OF 2015! Amec Foster Wheeler (AMEC) BC Housing Bench Gives Back Cadillac Fairview Corp. Ltd. Caring Companies Cathay Pacific Chartered Prof Accountants of Canada Green Teams of Canada HSBC LINC Microsoft Nature's Path Foods, Inc. Nicola Wealth Management Nielsen Qlik RBC RFSS Youth Leadership Team River Rock Casino Resort Sage Software Canada Ltd Stockhouse Publishing Teldon Media Group Teligence Telecommunications Services United Natural Foods, Inc. Vega SAP