Funded Projects - 2011
Doddridge County Master Gardeners
The project used hay bales and table top gardens to beautify the perimeter of the county senior center's recreation areas. The project experimented with different accessibility designs to measure the amount that is produced from different designs.
Preston County Master Gardeners
Preston County Master Gardeners created a workshop curriculum, Teaching the Teachers, to provide sustainability to education and outreach efforts funded by Green Thumbs in the past. The curriculum taught to a class of United Steel Workers Women of Steel members. Members carried forward information on arthritis treatment and lessening its pain by delivering presentations at public planting days. This project provided individuals with arthritis opportunities to plant in raised beds at various locations throughout Preston and Monongalia counties.
Friends of Monroe, Inc.
Raised beds were built at the Springfield Center, a nursing and rehabilitation center in Lindside, WV. The raised beds were used by the center to provide recreation, education on arthritis and other disabling joint conditions, and mental therapy for patients with Alzheimer's disease. Residents and patients of the center, along with Monroe County Master Gardeners will maintain the beds.
Friends of Deckers Creek
Friends of Deckers Creek and Madison Rehabilitation Center teamed up to build an accessible garden at the rehab center. Garden maintenance and chores were built into patients' rehab plans during their stay and visits to the rehab center. Additional activities of daily living were added to treatment plans depending on patients' level of interest in gardening. Activities were planned for patients that involved the garden but are outside of their rehab plans.
Kanawha Valley Senior Services, Inc.
Green Thumbs funding was used by KVSS to implement therapeutic gardening at the organization's newest community senior center, KVSS Tiskelwah Center. Accessible gardening was used as an opportunity to help seniors increase their cognitive capacity, improve attention capacity, reduce stress, improve moods, improve social integration, decrease heart rate, improve fine and gross motor skills, as well as reduce and relieve arthritis and other joint limitations. Education on ergonomic and assistive gardening devices was provided through brochures and at the garden site to help generate interest and alleviate concerns of those who may feel that they would not impact, or be impacted by, the garden.
Mineral County Family Resource Network
Mineral County Master Gardeners built two raised beds located at the Health Department. Plants, such as tomatoes and turnips, were planted so that seniors can pick and take vegetables home with them. The Master Gardener group also planned planting projects with two local adult day centers. Plants were planted indoors at both centers. After germination, plants were planted outdoors for consumers to enjoy.
Jefferson County Council on Aging
This year's project added to the foundation of last year's project. The agency's maintenance department built hanging rail baskets, two garden top tables, and a flower basket pulley system.
Berkeley Senior Services
Accessible gardening, specifically raised beds, were incorporated into Berkeley Senior Services' ADS class (adult with disabilities). Student were maintained the raised beds throughout the growing season. An accessible gardening and ergonomic tool demonstration was provided to introduce adults to the garden project.
Marion County Senior Services
Accessible gardening was introduced to the Fairview senior center, the satellite location of Marion County Senior Citizens. Raised beds were used to teach seniors about accessible gardening and ergonomics.
Susan Dew Hoff Memorial Clinic, Inc.
This is the third and final stage of the clinic's plan of building their accessible community garden. The intention of this stage was to encourage walking and moderate gardening exercise for people with physical limitations in a social environment. Demonstrations will continue to be held to show individuals tools that are adapted specifically to meet the capabilities of people with physical limitations. This year's focus was on enhancing and providing safety features to an existing walking path.
Wayne County Community Services
Green Thumbs funding was used to expand upon last year's gardening success. Funding was used to increase outreach efforts to reach a larger group of seniors. Funding was also used to continue instruction on the proper use of ergonomic tools and devices to assist with more accessible gardening.
