A little fresh air. A chance to learn gardening skills. The satisfaction of a job well done. And, oh yes, a crop of delicious and nutritious vegetables.
These are some of the benefits clients of Waypoint’s HERO Centre reap from their volunteer work on the Karma Garden at the Martyrs’ Shrine.
“I live for it,” said Andrew Moreau, a client and volunteer for the past five years. “I know that I’m doing something that’s affecting other people — not just now, but hopefully next year and the year after. You know you’re doing something worthwhile and beneficial.”
The HERO Centre provides a slate of rehabilitation services, including employment, recreation and education programs. The goal is to work in partnership with clients on their mental health recovery by building on their strengths and skills. Clients set the pace, supported by a team of professionals, to help accomplish the plan, which can mean finding work or a meaningful hobby, making connections in the community, or simply self-discovery.
Recreation Therapist Tamara Burke started the garden project in 2019 as a way to help clients improve their quality of life while assisting others. Working together in a supportive and social environment, they grow green peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, carrots and other vegetables, as well as some herbs. The produce is given to The Guesthouse Shelter, where clients like Moreau volunteer as cooks in a program called HERO Helpers.
“A lot of time when people come in for our services, they’re looking for meaning and purpose,” said Burke. “These types of volunteer programs allow them to feel empowered and to give back to their community.”
Jonathan Dyer spent time receiving care at Waypoint as an inpatient due to some mental health issues he was experiencing. The HERO Centre was recommended to him to continue his healing journey, and volunteering in the garden and at the shelter has been a welcome activity.
“I like the work. It brings my mood up just to be outdoors,” he said. “And it’ll be nice next year to see the crop come up.”
On a recent fall day, Burke joined Moreau and Dyer in constructing raised garden beds on the site. These will allow people in the community with mobility issues to participate in the project. Getting their hands dirty imparts skills — gardening, cooking, teamwork, leadership — that could lead to employment. Burke said one client has actually been hired to work on the Martyrs’ Shrine grounds as a direct result of the good job he did on the Karma Garden.