Doug Dowhos has learned growing and maintaining a garden takes a lot of tender love and care.
"Keep watering, keep weeding," said the supervisor for St. Joseph’s Care Group’s employment options program.
Thursday morning the Team Werks Cooperative, located at the Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital, launched its newest division –Green Werks, a community garden.
Team Werks is a collection of client-owned and operated businesses that provides training and employment opportunities for people with mental health and addictions challenges.
Not only does the Green Werks garden also provide these opportunities, but Dowhos said it’s unique because the majority of the produce grown in the garden will go to the Regional Food Distribution Association.
Eight people have been employed part-time to work on the garden over the past year and Dowhos said some of them haven’t had a job in up to 10 years.
"This provides them with the first step to real work, the first step in getting some skills and the first step in getting some confidence and hopefully, to move on and maybe work in the community," he said, adding they can also go on to work in one of the other Team Werks businesses.
He added the clients love the work not only because they can get their hands dirty, but also because they can see the results of their hard work blossom.
Darryl Clarke said working with Green Werks has helped him in many ways, but especially in building his confidence before he heads back to school to take aerospace engineering this fall.
"From four years without work and going back to the workplace, you have to build yourself up," he said. "It’s been something that’s helped me grow within my recovery because it’s difficult for people sometimes with disabilities to find jobs because they don’t have the confidence to move on into the regular workforce."
Working outside and getting exercise in the process is also a bonus for Clarke. He’s also happy the food is going to the RFDA.
But nothing is more fulfilling than seeing the progress of the garden over the summer.
"It makes you feel good," he said. "I didn’t expect the vegetables to grow the way they did," he said. "It takes a while to grow. You don’t feel the benefit from it right away but when it does come, it makes you feel like you’ve actually accomplished something."
