Stories
Discover real-world stories of communities overcoming poverty and deforestation! Plant With Purpose, a Christian non-profit, shares examples of environmental sustainability and stewardship from all around the world. These stories show us how faith, resilience, and sustainable practices transform people’s lives as well as their environment. As rural families overcome poverty and heal the planet, embrace empowerment, renewal, and hope.
All, Why I Support
Paddling 22 miles for Plant With Purpose
22 miles on a paddleboard is no easy feat! Will Allen and Emily Bark will be paddling 22 miles from Catalina to Palos Verdes to support Plant With Purpose this month! They have chosen to raise money to plant trees in the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of Plant With Purpose’s newer countries where communities […]
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All, blog
The Geotag Debate
Horseshoe Bend. Havasupai Falls. The Happy Boulders in Bishop, California. It seems like not long ago, these places were under-the-radar beauties for outdoor adventurers. A visit would’ve been a chance to escape into solitude while admiring these natural spectacles. Actually, it wasn’t that long ago. A decade, give-or-take. Today, however, these places get visitors by […]
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All, blog, Mexico
We Have Never Felt Stronger
There are times when it’s hard to feel strong. Think of a time in your life when it seems like one challenge after another kept rising up, and it started to take an emotional toll. Sometimes, it’s not just a calamity that can leave you discouraged, but a constant stream of challenges and bad news. […]
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All, Haiti
Can You Reap What You Sow?
You reap what you sow, right? You’ve heard the expression, I’m sure. It comes right out of Scripture– several times. Galatians 6:7 reads, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." 2 Corinthians explains that the point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows […]
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All, blog, Haiti
Haiti’s Challenges
Haiti’s challenges are deep and complex. One of the most famous images of Haiti contrasts its lack of vegetation with a neighboring National Park in the Dominican Republic. The difference is so stark that nature follows the political border. A flight into Haiti might provide another example of its environmental situation and the challenge it […]
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All, Living Sustainably
The environment and human health
In many ways, the effects that the environment has on human health seem a little obvious. Still, there is a variety of different ways to think about their relationship that all underscore its importance. Here are some of those ways. Biodiversity helps support resilience and nutrition. A lack of biodiversity results in the loss of […]
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All, blog, Living Sustainably
3 Perspective Shifts that Serve the Planet
1. It’s not about being the perfect environmentalist. It can be easy after learning about the urgent threats to our environment to want to do something drastic. To radically alter your lifestyle and to challenge others to do the same. These changes are good, but they can also very easily slip into the snares of […]
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All, DR Congo, Meditations
Even though they won’t benefit me now.
One principle of sustainability is doing things with benefits that go beyond your lifetime. In one of his most famous poems, "Manifesto", Wendell Berry suggests doing things that we will not live to see the benefit of: Invest in the millennium. Plant sequoias. Say that your main crop is the forest that you did not […]
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All, Resources
One Planet, Many Neighbors
July 11 marks World Population Day, a day marked to raise awareness of issues related to world population. Though this is not the most well known commemoration, its relationship to the environment makes it worth exploring further. So, what is World Population Day and where did it come from? The United Nations Development Program established […]
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All, blog, Podcast
It threatens the most vulnerable
Climate change has already threatened people’s livelihoods and traditions. The Gabra people live in one of the harshest environments in Africa, perhaps on Earth. However, they’ve been resilient against famine and other hardships. In the 1970s, the major famine that took a toll on most of Eastern Africa had the least affect on the Gabra […]
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All, Podcast
The Roots of Everything
Downstream problems have upstream solutions. Plant With Purpose’s model of international development evolved from a series of discoveries. First: We discovered that if we wanted to help people improve their lives, we needed to improve their environment, because both were so deeply connected. Second: We saw that helping people out of poverty went a long […]
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All, Updates
What you’ve made possible
In some ways it still feels like we just celebrated a new year, but then you realize: it’s halfway over. Time goes by like that sometimes, especially when you’re engaged in deep and immersive work. Right now is a good time to celebrate the work you’ve made possible for Plant With Purpose over the past […]
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All, Podcast
Here's how to listen to and support the Grassroots Podcast
The Grassroots Podcast is officially live! As of July 2, Plant With Purpose's premiere podcast is finally live. Whether you get your podcasts on Spotify, Apple, Google, Overcast, Breaker, Anchor, Pocket Casts, or RadioPublic, you'll be able to listen to our new show for free! We are committed to amplifying the voices of the rural […]
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All, Meditations, Updates
Milestones and Making Plans
It’s the end of a fiscal year for Plant With Purpose, and this one leaves us with a lot to celebrate. This year saw the 30 millionth tree planted by Plant With Purpose, and that is a very big cause for celebration. Each tree plays a major role in environmental respiration. Through transpiration, assisting in […]
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All, Thailand
Keep making small improvements
For Jing, the road to a better life seemed daunting. Jing lived with her husband, Tan, in the hills of Northern Thailand. They endured much together, and cared for one another, even at times when this was very difficult. “Our family had no money in savings,” she said to describe their earlier situation. “We had […]
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