March 18, 2020
At this uncertain time, we hope that you and your loved ones are healthy and safe. These moments cause us to pause and reflect on what is truly important in life; our health, our loved ones and our sense of greater purpose in the world. We are very grateful to all of you for being a part of Sunflower Hill.
As part of the county-wide order to shelter at home, we have closed both the Sunflower Hill Garden and Sunflower Hill at Stable Cafe Programs to program participants and volunteers for the foreseeable future. Our administrative offices are closed as well, however staff are working from home. Once the order has been lifted, we will communicate dates for reopening.
As Sunflower Hill donates produce to local nonprofits who provide meals and food to the community, the garden is considered an “Essential Business,” as determined by the Health Officer of the County of Alameda. To that end, our Garden staff will continue to maintain the Sunflower Hill Garden for the purpose of harvesting produce. Although our program participants won’t be on-hand to help, their hard work over the winter will enable us to donate 100% of the produce to Open Heart Kitchen and Culinary Angels.
Our Garden staff are employing all suggested precautionary measures and will follow Alameda County Health Department guidelines to limit exposure and to ensure their health and well-being. Please note that the Garden will not be open to the public or volunteers at this time.
Despite working remotely, our team continues to work on the opening of Sunflower Hill at Irby Ranch. Construction will continue during this time as Sunflower Hill at Irby Ranch is deemed “Essential Infrastructure” for affordable housing.
Our Programs team is also brainstorming ways to plan virtual activities for our program participants to keep them engaged and energized during this challenging time.
As a nonprofit, these are especially difficult times. Now more than ever, Sunflower Hill needs your support! Please consider making a donation today.
We will miss sharing time with our volunteers and the community whether it be in the Garden or at Stable Cafe, but look forward to seeing everyone happy and healthy in April. In the meantime, we welcome you to follow us on Facebook or Instagram where we will be posting pictures from our programs and past events that we hope will brighten your day.
Wishing you health and joy,
The Sunflower Hill Team