Disabled grow as cemetery garden blooms
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Joan Patricca waters vegetables while David D'Agostino, an habilitation specialist with PA Connecting Communities, works with Raphael Jay weeding in the community garden on the grounds of Allegheny Cemetery in Lawrenceville.
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Green Lawrenceville's 40-by-40-foot garden in a corner of Allegheny Cemetery was ripe for collaboration this spring when an advocate for mentally and physically impaired adults asked the group if some of her clients could get involved in its upkeep.
Judy Greif, a staff mentor for PA Connecting Communities, had been holding arts and crafts classes and, as an avid gardener, she said, "I threw out the idea about doing a gardening class. I was looking around for a community garden, met with Green Lawrenceville and we created a partnership."
The garden already was a partnership between Green Lawrenceville, Grow Pittsburgh and Allegheny Valley Bank, some of whose employees volunteer with Lawrenceville residents.
Having regulars from PA Connecting Communities weeding and watering twice a week has been a godsend, said Deirdre Kane, a Green Lawrenceville member. "So many of us are so busy that getting the garden watered was always a challenge. We had a rough time last year getting volunteers.
"They water twice a week for us," she said, referring to Joan Patricca and Shari Schultz, the two mainstays, and one or two other adults who come accompanied by mentors from PA Connecting Communities.
That agency was founded in 2004 by Arlene Bair and Peggy Mannella, both of whom had been special education teachers. Its focus is to introduce clients to the mainstream community. One project was an art show at the Perk Me Up Cafe on Butler Street.
"We want to do more, to be more proactive in the community," Ms. Bair said.
Watering a row of chard one evening, Ms. Patricca, whose family lives nearby, said the gardening "makes me busy and gives me something to do. I want to do different things this summer. I help my mom out sometimes. She has a garden."
First Published July 11, 2011 12:00 am
