Youth Homes 'Promise Gardens' Take Root

Build It and They Will Come!

July 16, 2011

A Very Special Garden Takes Root

Many Months in The Planning, Youth Homes Residents Finally Get Their Hands in the Soil

If you have ever had the opportunity to visit the facilities at East Bay Shelter or Cherry Lane, you are immediately impressed with the size of the properties and the available space for growing things.  With the wonderful opportunity to utilize the space, planning began during the fall of 2010 to provide a gardening work program for our residents.  With expertise provided initially by our landscape architect, Sydney Spencer, the project began to take shape.  Plans were drawn up for space utilization and boxes were constructed and then initially tended to by our TAY laborers (Transition Age Youth) consisting of former Youth Homes residents who work 2 to 3 days a week and are compensated for their efforts.

 As  you can imagine, hours of planning went into the design and construction of the planting beds at both East Bay Shelter and Cherry Lane.  Once the beds were constructed, our workers had to fill them in with just the right combination of fertilizer and soil.  Irrigation was installed and the ground was ready for planting.

While this was all going on, current Youth Homes residents were given the opportunity to apply for the six summer positions available and had to complete their applications and go through an interview process.  The six residents were selected and a week of training began just after school ended in June.

The six participating residents are eligible to receive a $500 stipend once they successfully complete the 11 week experience.  During the 11 weeks, each resident has been asked to keep a journal of their experiences while in the program.  As we are about to reach the half way mark of the program, several residents have agreed to share their thoughts with you. (See column 3)

Please Register Your Information

If you would like to receive information about the availability of our products and services, please click on the link below and we will email you regular updates.  In addition to our produce, our After Care TAY laborers are available to assist you with your gardening and landscaping needs at very reasonable rates. 

Click Here to register for our regular updates, let us know what items you would like to purchase, or request our TAY laborers.  Thank you for your continued support of our Youth and our programs.


Staff Member Kelli Patterson and Intern Lily Truong

The Youth Homes Organic Garden and Job Readiness Program

In September of 2010, Youth Homes embarked upon an exciting project to both nurture our youth and feed our community. The Youth Homes Organic Garden and Job Readiness Program was created as an opportunity for our youth to step outside and get their hands dirty while also gaining critical job skills. Under the guidance of Youth Homes Clinical Director Julie Sievenpiper, those involved will learn everything from the basics of gardening to sustainability, organic horticulture, and eventually distribution through restaurants and local farmers’ markets. In addition, our youth will develop essential employment skills such as communication, leadership, punctuality, participation, and the ability to follow directions; some will even learn firsthand the value of earning a paycheck!

To align with school calendars, the project has been strategically divided into three programs.

1.  Garden Awareness Group - This program began in September and continues year round. With support from Landscape Architect Sydney Spencer, Residential Behavioral Specialist Kelli Patterson who is a staff member at Youth Homes, Peer Mentor and alumni, Zack Walton, and Eco-Psychology Intern Lily Truong, participants meet weekly for lessons on sustainable gardening and nutrition while also managing the physical demands of garden development and maintenance.  This program takes place in each of the four houses.

2. Summer Job Training Program - This program includes residents from all four of the Youth Homes residential programs.  Six residential foster youth are afforded the unique opportunity to work in the organic gardens as actual employees, holding responsibilities to complete shifts, follow directions from a supervisor, and maintain accurate accounts of hours worked. Additionally, these participants will be rated on an Employment Readiness Scale at both the commencement and completion of their employment in order to become, and eventually demonstrate, readiness for employment in the private sector.

3.  TAY Laborer Program (Transition Age Youth) - This program is designed to hire former Youth Homes residents as interns to assist with a variety of Promise Gardens projects year round.  TAY laborers are paid an hourly wage as they gain important work related job skills which will make them more valuable to other employers.  Internships with outside employers are sought and recommendations given for those who do well in the TAY program.  The TAY laborers are available for outside projects should you have any landscape or gardening needs.

These continued efforts aim to give our young people the opportunity to gain important job skills for future employment, nurture a lifelong love of green gardening and understand the relationship between fresh, nutritious food and good health.
Garden Program Staff Members - Ann, Michael, and Catherine
 
Three Opportunities for Youth Homes Residents
The Shortened Version!

As part of its overall Garden Program, Youth Homes provides 3 different opportunities for our residents and former residents. 

1.  Garden Group - Residents of each youth homes facility meet with  Eco-Psychology Intern Lily Truong and plan garden projects in each of the houses.  These groups are on-going year round.

2.  Summer Job Training - Six residents are selected after an application and interview process to work in the 'Promise Gardens' at both East Bay Shelter and Cherry Lane.  The program lasts for 11 weeks and a stipend of $500 is awarded after successful completion of the 11 week experience.

3. Aftercare Work Program - TAY (Transition Age Youth) Laborers - Former Youth Homes residents who have transitioned out of the group home because they turned 18 and are living on their own, are hired as interns to work on garden projects throughout the year and receive an hourly wage.  In addition, other partnerships are being developed with businesses throughout the Contra Costa community to hire the Youth Homes interns in a variety of business opportunities.

What Exactly Does Our Garden Grow?


After reading the other articles on this page, we hope that your interest has been peeked in our garden and garden products.  Below is a list of the items we expect to harvest some time during the summer and fall. We have also listed some of the other plants we are growing.  In our next update we will be able to let you know the approximate times these items will be available to you and how you can purchase them.

Cucumber
Watermelon
Pole Beans
Edamame - Fresh soybeans
Green Beans
Orange Peppers
Calendula - Also called pot marigold. a composite plant
Agastache - Mexican hyssop
Basil
Oregano
Pumpkins
Yellow Squash
Gaillardia - Flower with yellow or red rays and purple discs
Tomato
Sunflowers
Nasturtium - Cultivated for its showy, colorful flowers
Table queen acorn - Green shelled winter squash
Teddy Bear Sunflower
Zinnias - Flowers having colored, many-rayed flower heads

Resident Gardeners Share Experiences

As we approach the half way point in the summer garden program, our gardeners were asked to reflect on their experiences.  The following are quotes from them about how they feel it's going so far.

"It's a great learning experience.  I learned a lot about different plants and what it takes to grow them.  Not all plants need the same amount of water so you have to be careful when you water them."

"Although you don't always get along with all the people you work with you still have to respect them and be able to work with them in order to keep your job."

"During this program I learned to be a lot more patient.  I also learned consistency and how important that is on any job.  I also learned that it's ok to get dirty and work hard, and to strive for what you want and not give up."

"I learned how to plant different plants and how to care for them.  I also learned about irrigation and how to make sure that all of the plants get the water they need."

"I learned that it's not just about me all the time!  I learned to work around other people's schedule because that's what it takes to be successful on a job.  If you keep your face to the sunshine, you will never see the shadows.  Helen Keller said that."