Our Stories
“This has been an amazing opportunity for me. It came at a time when I had no money at all. I couldn’t do my laundry or buy hygiene products. Besides, this is a work of love for us, as we care for the environment and people.”
— J.
Gleaning Project Participant
If we need emotional support, we know we can get it here; this is a safe space for anybody going through hardships, a place where you find the support that you need.
— I.
Gleaning Project Participant
“I like how I can be so engrossed in the work, but also chat with other participants – it’s really nice to be able to, for a moment, forget all the worries on my mind.”
— M.
Gleaning Project Participant
In our Participants’ Words
Spencer
“Being a part of the transitional community during a difficult time in my life, I found my way to the Gleaning Project, led by Noemia, who has been a source of grace ever since, while fostering a creative outlet that was and continues to be much needed in my life.
In all honesty, these last six months of my life would have been much more difficult without the opportunity of communing weekly at the Gleaning Project with our small but tight-knit group. I feel like I have made connections and memories that will last a lifetime. Take it from me, Gleaning Project isn't only something that New York City needs, but the whole world.”
Eugene
“The Gleaning Project helped me a lot. Before I had a big addiction. I left the project for a couple of months, because my addiction “took me back,” but I returned and started making art again. I keep coming back here because I know these people around me have another energy, and don’t get me thinking about drugs or my addiction. Every time I come here, the atmosphere is kind – if you want to talk, you can talk with somebody, if you want silence, you can sit and relax and work, it’s very beautiful.
I think a lot of people think you must paint or make a sculpture. Now I look around and see all kinds of stuff you can make art with – old clothes, recycled materials… art is everywhere.”
Rose
“When I started coming here, I began to learn more about teamwork. When I come, I feel like it’s easier for me to be kinder to myself and more open-minded with other people’s circumstances. The Gleaning Project can bring people from different backgrounds all together and coexist in harmony – It’s miraculous, because it’s not like that outside of here. The coexistence and the ability to finish what you start really resonate with me.
We can often get so consumed in our everyday routines, but here we remember where all these resources come from that we’re relying on just to carry out what we want to do. The Gleaning Project is much more than creating art – it helps you understand and take care of the Earth on a deeper level.”