One of Greentree Home's beloved retail partners, Laura Ann Carleton, was recently shot and killed for displaying a rainbow pride flag outside her shop, Mag.pi, in Studio City, California. While this recent loss hit close to home for us at Greentree Home, we recognize and send love to O'Shae Sibley, Chanel Perez Ortiz, and all of the members of the LGBTQIA+ community who have been attacked or killed (nearly 400 incidents recorded nationally in this past year alone).

Though we will continue to grieve the deaths of our friends, we are not here to explain or fixate on the homophobic, anti-black, transphobic violence that continues to deeply harm us all. We are here to honor Lauri's bravery. We are here to protect and care for each other. In the face of hatred and gun violence, the most powerful action we can collectively take is to intentionally and unapologetically pour on our communities with love.

In our local region, the Western Catskills, LGBTQIA+ community members are building resources for community care in creative and abundant ways. 10 or 20 years ago, this kind of LGBTQIA+ presence, visibility, and support did not exist on an organizational level. We celebrate the beautiful spirit of these spaces – some of which are community farms and public gardens – and the people who are cultivating and stewarding the land, protecting wildlife, feeding the community, and, of course, keeping our precious pollinators alive!

Plant with us. Grow with us. Pour love on our communities.

How?  For the month of September, Greentree Home will donate 10% of all our retail web sales to the Human Rights Campaign. Read more about the important work they are doing here.

Thank you, dear community! And stay tuned – in the coming months, we will highlight ways we are supporting our local LGBTQIA+ community.

With love,

Jenifer and the Greentree Home family