On Friday, August 16th, volunteers from Cummins Engine joined participants and staff at Aspire of WNY’s Group Day Habilitation Program at Mall Boulevard in the Southern Tier for some gardening fun!
Our agency was honored to accept a grant from Cummins Engine to provide funds to help improve the Beautiful Blooms Garden Space at Mall Blvd. Cummins Engine went above and beyond by sending volunteers of their own to help with new improvements, working alongside staff and individuals supported by our agency.
The Beautiful Blooms Garden is a garden space at Mall Blvd. that helps individuals we support gain a wide range of skills and knowledge, such as improving fine motor skills and navigating social dynamics, such as practicing sharing the harvest, being mindful of others when watering, and taking turns.
In addition to gaining experience with growing a variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers, participants also have developed a relationship with the garden and a sense of responsibility. Participants of the Beautiful Blooms Garden Program will often ask how certain plants are doing, or if they can check plants for harvest. The Beautiful Blooms Garden Program is overseen by a therapeutic gardener, Sarah, who completes weekly garden tasks with the participants as well.
The 4 volunteers from Cummins Engine helped build and assemble a new raised bed for shade plants, plant a memorial tree, secure and assemble the hydroponic garden, weed plant beds, tie up strawberries and other plants, drill holes in buckets and help clean and sort seeds. A lot was accomplished, and great fun was had by all.
“We had a great session at the garden with Heather, Nancy, Tiffany, and Tracey. We are so grateful for these ladies, their quality work, and the positive presence they brought with them,” explains Sarah Sorci, Therapeutic Gardener at Aspire of WNY. “The Beautiful Blooms Garden is truly such a special space for the individuals supported at Mall Blvd., and we can’t wait for them to see all of the new additions!”
“Opportunities like this are so important for us as an agency. We love engaging with our local community and are always looking for opportunities to help improve our programming for the people that we support,” explains Mary Anne Coombe, Vice President of Day Habilitation Services at Aspire of WNY.
Thank you to our community partner, Cummins Engine for a wonderful day at the Beautiful Blooms Garden! We look forward to more opportunities to engage with our local community, helping us to carry out our mission of supporting individuals to realize their full potential and live as independently as possible!
