March 31, 2011 - Catherine Rainbow, 14-year-old Sherman resident and Fannin County Four Corners 4-H Club member, is heading up a project to bring raised accessible gardens to the senior residents of Pecan Place Apartments in Bonham, a non-profit property of the Retirement Housing Foundation, and Clyde Cosper Veteran's Home.
Rainbow took the idea to Nicole Morgan of Lifetime Designs in Sherman and a portfolio was developed and presented to Pecan Place Apartment Manager Jason Castle, Activity Director Carolyn Hackler and Clyde Cosper Texas Veterans Home Texas Veterans Land Board member Amanda Gilbreath. The idea included a partnership between the 4-H club and Lifetime Designs who would work together and design accessible, raised gardens for senior residents.
Once approved, Rainbow surveyed residents to establish the feasibility of the project, level of gardening interest, and preferred items to plant. Rainbow and Club member Ileana Rivera then set about raising funds for the project with local Fannin and Grayson County businesses. Rainbow approached Fannin County Master Gardeners for their gardening expertise and the three entities have worked together on the logistics of the project.
Six raised accessible gardens will be built and installed at Pecan Place Apartments, Tuesday, April 5, under the direction of Lifetime Design's contractor specialist Bert Bond. On Saturday, April 9, the raised gardens will be installed at Clyde Cosper Veterans Home. In addition to providing fresh vegetables to enhance the resident's nutrition, the raised accessible gardens will enhance quality of life and provide another opportunity for community interaction, as residents garden together.
Lifetime Designs donated three of the gardens. Other donors to the project are American Bank of Bonham, Arctic Industrial Insulation LLC, Bonham Chrysler, Bonham Hardware, Carol Fauble, Fannin County Master Gardeners, Fannin Pharmacy, Goins Lumber, Hall Supply Company, Home Depot, Jay Buckner-State Farm Insurance, Mark and Tonja Brown Insurance, Texas Laundry and Cleaners, Texoma Landscaping, and Tom and Tamera Bragg.
For more information about Fannin County 4-H Clubs, call 903-583-7453. Texas 4-H is open to all youth between the ages of 9 (or 8 and in the 3rd grade) to 19. Educational programs of AgriLife Extension are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin.
(Pictured) Four Corners 4-H Club members with Nicole Morgan of Lifetime Designs, Pecan Place Manager Jason Castle and Pecan Place Maintenance Robert Schulze.
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