Master Gardeners Visit with Seniors
The Master Gardeners Horticulture Therapy Enrichment programs in Union County are available to many communities in the area with their purpose of “sharing knowledge, experience, and a love of gardening.” “Their volunteers have been proudly serving the communities of Union County, NJ for over thirty years. Their mission is to expand Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Cooperative Extension’s outreach efforts by educating the public and engaging communities throughout New Jersey with unbiased research-based information in horticulture, agriculture and natural resources.”
The senior citizens living at Village at Garwood are grateful to be in the receiving end of their programs from forcing paper white bulbs to building “grass head buddies.” Also, programs on planting seeds this season are in development. With encouragement and assistance from Deb Murphy’s volunteers: Bob Platt, Carol Wenk, Connie Salisbury, Carolyn Della Sala, Jeanmarie Keenan, and Krystyna Slojan, each of the Village at Garwood seniors receive all of the supplies required to complete their project. The seniors then take their creation home to their apartments with instructions on how to maintain and successfully grow their plants. The Master Gardeners’ volunteers also hold a plant therapy session for seniors who are having issues with their plants at home.
The programs are not only educational but enjoyable. Dorothy S., a Village at Garwood senior, said, “We are so lucky to have the Master Gardeners come here. I love learning new things.”
The Village at Garwood, a 72-unit low-income housing development, opened its doors in 2015 with the purpose of serving the needs of low-income senior citizens. The building is a 3-story, elevator-equipped building located at 320 Second Avenue. It is a short distance from South Avenue, and convenient to shopping and local restaurants. The Village at Garwood is managed by Westfield Senior Citizens Housing Corporation.
