An Inspirational Garden for a Girls' Group Home

Website

http://www.fallschurchva.gov/Content/Government/Legal/AuroraHouse.aspx?cnlid=342

What is your idea and how would it impact the community?

We plan to build an edible garden, outdoor reflection space, and flower boxes to encourage positive self-care habits for residents of the Aurora House. Aurora House -- an alternative house for young women aged 13-17 -- takes a community-based approach to providing support for young women who are unable to live at home due to instability and troubling family issues. The inspirational garden in the backyard of Aurora House will beautify their living space and reinforce the value of responsibility through caring for the environment and witnessing the benefits reaped from hard work. Many of the residents are dealing with low self-esteem and depression, and our hopes are that through maintaining a garden, the girls will learn positive self-care habits. In addition, a reflective space overlooking the garden will provide the young women with the opportunity to clear their minds and step away from harmful stresses in their daily lives. With volunteer assistance, the building day will be preceded by a book club centered around environmental stewardship. This garden will set up the framework for a long-term sustainable project.

Explain how you would use the $500 grant, tools and volunteers to turn your idea into a reality.

Volunteers will be divided into groups according to the priority and magnitude of project. The largest group will be turning up the land, building a raised bed, and planting a mixture of herb and vegetables in the garden. In addition, volunteers and residents will paint decorative signs for the garden to distinguish plants and add character. Another group will be constructing, painting, and planting flower boxes for the girls’ windows. In addition, on one side of the garden there will be a reflection space with a bench, flowers, and large rocks decorated with empowering words by the girls living at Aurora House- giving them an opportunity to become part of the project and add their own personal touch. The money will be used to buy building supplies for the flower boxes and raised bed, heirloom seeds, and bench. The tool shed will be instrumental in allowing this project to be turned from a pile of supplies into a teaching and productive garden.

Discussion

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