(517) 220-0306

Youth-led Therapeutic Community Garden 
(Macomb county)

What is a Therapy Garden?

Uses plants to improve the social, educational, psychological, and physical wellbeing.  Gardens are designed as a quiet space for reflection & to be accessible to people with physical limitations: include raised beds and firm pathways to provide access to participants in wheelchairs and other accommodations. 

Local Impact

Validated health outcomes are demonstrated in over 35 studies, including: improved mental well-being, increased physical activity and a reduction in social isolation.

This community garden will host a variety of educational and social outings for the various retirement homes, schools, and disability groups in our local area.

Where is this Garden?

The Centerline Community Garden (CLCG) has generously donated the space for this project.

The CLCG is located at 8021 Dale, Center Line, MI, United States, 48015.  Just off Van Dyke it is set at the front of the residential area of Dale street.

Autism Society of Greater Detroit
Announces Youth-led Community Garden Project

Fighting isolation with local supportive projects & promoting inclusion in Michigan.

In our efforts to create more connections within our local community we assisted in writing a micro-grant for a youth led therapeutic garden.  After much paperwork and a personal interview with this special team of youth leaders, they were awarded the grant from K4C in early March 2023. 

Through the ASGD (501(C)3 EIN:  38-2991240. All donations are tax deductible.), the project is seeking donations of gardening supplies to fulfill the vision of this space.

Building began in early May of 2023 and the youth team worked tirelessly through End of October.  Building and Planting will resume in Spring of 2024.

SEE LIST OF SUPPLY NEEDS

Garden design Draft

SEE OUR PROGRESS

Photos of on-going work: CLICK HERE

Thank You to Our Sustaining Supporters

    Sign up to Volunteer for this Project

    Contact the project leaders by completing this form

    Click Here

    SCHEDULE OF VOLUNTEER DATES

    Tuesday, July 9⋅10:30am – 1:30pm
    Friday, July 12⋅10:30am – 1:30pm
    Monday, July 15⋅10:30am – 1:30pm
    Tuesday, July 16⋅10:30am – 1:30pm
    Friday, July 19⋅10:30am – 1:30pm

    More dates & times coming soon

    *Volunteers of all ages are welcome.  Drop In Volunteers are welcome; you will be asked to sign the Release Form and adhere to the Community Garden Guidelines.

    FROM Our Community

    This project is Youth-led by local teens with support from adults from the Autism Society-GD & their families and social groups.

    Youth-led programs are a community-based process in which young people determine a problem of practice, identify the root causes of the problem, and select and implement evidence-based strategies to address those root causes. 

    In our local community the youth leadership team identified a lack of outdoor social opportunities for the elderly and continued isolation of individuals with special needs in the area.

    FOR Our Community

    The Therapy Garden will be a small meditation area with vibrant gardening and an educational program set in a safe and tranquil plot within the Centerline Community Garden in Warren, Macomb County MI. 

    We use the healing power of social and therapeutic horticulture to make a positive and significant impact on the lives of young people and adults facing all kinds of personal challenges.

    April 2023 Press Release: 

    ASGD Fights isolation with local supportive projects & by 
    promoting inclusion in Michigan. 

    With the support of ASGD a special team of youth leaders was 
    awarded a $1k grant from K4C in early March 2023 for the 
    implementation of a Community Therapeutic Garden.  The ASGD 
    provides oversight for the project and together with the youth 
    team we have secured partnerships with the Centerline 
    Community Garden organization (for space & access to a Master 
    Gardener from MSU-E), and the 5 Retirement homes in the area 
    (field trips & therapy experiences).

    Their vision for this Youth-led Therapy Garden project is for 
    it to be a small, vibrant gardening and educational program 
    set in a safe and tranquil plot.  Using the healing power of 
    social and therapeutic horticulture, it will make a positive 
    and significant impact on the lives of young people and adults
     facing all kinds of personal challenges.

    Through several programs we will use our peaceful and 
    supportive environment to promote wellbeing, social 
    interaction, physical exercise, education, meaningful 
    gardening activity, nature-connectedness, and horticultural 
    training.

    We can support individuals with a range of physical 
    disabilities, mental health challenges and social isolation; 
    school students with low cognitive skills, disability, anxiety 
    and loneliness, behavioral issues and those coming to terms 
    with bereavement or the ill health of a loved one.  We also 
    support adults living with Alzheimer’s and Dementia, Stroke 
    survivors through our partnership with the 5 retirement 
    communities surrounding the plot.  The garden will be designed
     to be accessible to people with physical limitations. Include
     raised beds and firm pathways to provide access to 
    participants in wheelchairs, and a quiet space for reflection.

    The garden team is currently soliciting & accepting donations 
    from local gardening businesses and will break ground in 
    Early May.  This program is expected to have a great impact on
     local isolation and positively affect the general mental 
    health of our community.

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    © Autism Society of Greater Detroit

    Autism Society of Greater Detroit is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit charity and our tax ID is 88-1145107