Hebrew
Rehab Center Garden Club Program
Wins
National Award
By Susie
Davidson
Advocate
Correspondent
ROSLINDALE
– The Putterham Garden Club has just won an award from the National
Council of State Garden Clubs for its program at the Hebrew Rehabilitation
Center for Aged.
The award
followed a recommendation to the national organization from the Garden
Federation of Massachusetts, which had just issued the 30-year-old Club a state
award as well.
The Club
began in 1972, following the donation of two greenhouse windows to the Center.
The Putterham Garden Club decided to start a program there, with developing the
windows the initial project.
The
Center’s Recreational Therapy Department was hesitant about the idea of a
garden therapy program, as likeable as it appeared. The concern was that it
would not last, recalls then-volunteer and present co-chairman Phyllis Borkow,
who runs the program. She explains that many Center activities, typical or
atypical in this case, are envisioned simply with the residents’ benefit
in mind. It made sense, so they tried it. "Residents have a new interest
in their lives when they see plants grow," she says. "We are doing
‘cutting edge’ work in this area. Gardening develops an interest in
living things and connects the residents to nature. Many residents gardened
before they came to the Center, and it brings back their homes."
In fact,
two years ago, the program was expanded into three workshops geared to spark
interest and creativity among residents. Borkow, along with her co-chairman
Cynthia Sneider, met with club members Anita Liebowitz and Theresa DeSantis to
design a program of community events and themes. At Sukkot, a harvest
celebration program involves children from a nearby synagogue. At Thanksgiving,
centerpieces are made to decorate resident tables and in the spring, a tea
ceremony with flower arrangements involves students from the local SHOWA
Institute.
Residents
have also recently created Putterham Planters, an "in-house" club
where they serve as officers. "Forming a club within a club at the
Center,” explains Borkow, “brings new interests into the lives of
the residents. They like to see plants grow; in fact, they come down to the
hobby shop and dining room to see the planter boxes, notice the changes in the
plants participate in this gardening
activity."
Recently,
the Putterham Garden Club dedicated a garden sculpture in the courtyard patio
to resident Ed Rosenthal, who has credited the program with keeping him
invigorated and active during his twelve years at the Center. A former biology
teacher, the Garden Club program has inspired him to try other activities as
well. "When I first moved to
the Center,
I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with myself. Then I got involved
with the
gardening
program,” he says. My advice to other
seniors:
‘Never give up on life’."
The Hebrew
Rehabilitation Center for Aged is a geriatric care facility encompassing a
725-bed chronic care hospital, an adult day care program, a rehabilitative care
unit and geriatric consultation services. Specialized housing for seniors and
an internationally recognized Research and Training Institute are also
sponsored by the Center.
"Jennifer
Davis" <JDAVIS@mail.hrca.harvard.edu> | Block Address
To: Susie@SusieD.com
Subject: Putterham
Garden Club story
Add
Addresses
Hi Susie:
I am
sending you a revised release that includes quotes of key people in bold. I
have also
attached a
photo - Resident Ed Rosethal
unveils plaque while his sons and Center President and CEO, Len
Fishman
look on.
Let me know
if you need anything else.
-Jennifer
Putterham
Garden Club Wins National Award for
Therapy
Program at Hebrew Rehab Center
Roslindale,
MA - The National Council of State Garden Clubs recently presented the National
Garden
Therapy
Award to the Putterham Garden Club for their program at Hebrew Rehabilitation
Center for
Aged (the
Center) in Roslindale, MA. They won this award on the heels of a state award
from the
Garden
Federation of Massachusetts who felt the program was worthy of top honor
nationally, and
submitted
it to the national organization for consideration. Phyllis Borkow and Cynthia
Sneider are
co-chairs
of the Garden Therapy Program.
" We are doing "cutting edge" work in this area," says
Borkow.
Over its
30-year history, club volunteers have brought immeasurable joy into the life of
residents
by helping
them make gardening a part of their lives.
One need
only talk to Center resident Ed Rosenthal to get a sense of just how important
the club's
efforts
have been. Rosenthal, who moved to the Center 12 years ago says, "When I
first moved to
the Center,
I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with myself. Then I got involved
with the
gardening
program." Rosenthal, a former biology teacher, credits the program with
keeping him active.
His work
with the club gave him the confidence to try other new activities. His advice
to other
seniors,
"never give up on life." In honor of Rosenthal's devotion to the
program, the Putterham
Garden Club
recently dedicated a garden "sculpture" to him that graces the
Center's courtyard patio
and is a
stunning example of the club's contributions to enhancing the Center's
environment.
Borkow was
an original volunteer when the program began 30 years ago. At that time, the
Center had
just
received a donation of two green house windows and no one was quite sure what
to do with
them. The
Putterham Garden Club was eager to start a program, and took on the two windows
as their
first
project.
According
to Borkow, the Recreational Therapy Department was skeptical at first.
"They thought a
garden
therapy program was a good idea, but were concerned that the club would come,
stay for a
week or two
and, then, go," says Borkow. Today, it's still going strong and
continually changing the
program to
keep it fresh and innovative.
What is
garden therapy? Cynthia Sneider explains it this way, "It is an activity
that helps
develop an
interest in living things. It reminds the residents of their own gardens and
contributes to
their
feeling of connection to nature. In essence, planting these small bulbs brings
them back to
their
homes."
A couple of
years ago club members were concerned that their activities were becoming a
"little
stale."
They chose to replace a smaller program that ran all year long with three
larger,
participatory
workshops that would inspire and empower residents. Along with Borkow and
Sneider, club
members
Anita Liebowitz, and Theresa DeSantis brainstormed with the Center's Recreation
Therapy staff
around
themes for each event, and, as a result, club members and residents alike
benefited from a
hugely
successful schedule of events.
At each
program, residents were directly involved in making something that contributed
to a
feeling of
community and connection with their friends and neighbors. A Sukkot harvest
celebration
program
brings in children from a near-by synagogue to work with residents. At
Thanksgiving,
participants
create centerpieces to decorate the tables of fellow residents and in the
spring, students from
the local
SHOWA Institute take part in flower arrangements for a tea ceremony.
In addition
to the new program schedule, residents have recently created their own
"in-house" club
called
Putterham Planters at the Center with residents as officers. Borkow explains,
"Forming a
club within
a club at the Center brings new interests into the lives of the residents. They
like to
see plants
grow, in fact, they come down to the hobby shop and to the dining room to see
the
planter
boxes and to notice the changes in the plants and to participate with us in
this gardening
activity."
The Hebrew
Rehabilitation Center for Aged provides a comprehensive network of geriatric
care
services,
including a 725-bed chronic care hospital, an adult day health program, and
geriatric
consultation
services. The Center also sponsors specialized housing for seniors and an
internationally
recognized
Research and Training Institute.
# # #
Hi Susie:
I wanted to
send this press release to you because I thought you might be interested.
You've done
such a great
job in the past of covering the Center.
Regards,
Jennifer