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Veggie growers helping elderly
By Ruby Harfield
A
n initiativee has been set up to co onnect gardeners with extra produce to elderly people unable grow theirr own fruit and vegetables. Julie Lamplugh, from Rangiora in Canterbury, set up The SEDE Project after seeing her elderly parents’ delighted reaction ns when she was givving them vegetables from f her garden over summ mer. “They always h had a thriving vegetable garden (as well as fruit trees, berries and grapes) in the past, but are no longer able to look after a garden. “Seeing their pleasure at receiving fresh produce made me think about how other home gardeners could do the same and thus help so many elderly people in the same position as my parents.” Around the same time as she was thinking this over, she read a newspaper article about an elderly man in Christchurch who was skipping lunch each day due to affordability issues. “His story really bothered me, and I realised I should implement what I’d been thinking about, as there was potentially so much unmet and genuine need amongst pensioners in our communities. “I have a strong interest in getting involved in community initiatives that involve local people helping local people, I’m a keen home gardener, and I have elderly parents who require a lot of help now, so everything about The SEDE Project is close to my heart and relatable.” Lamplugh hopes it will ensure elderly people get adequate nutrition in their diet as the cost of fruit and vegetables is prohibitively high. There’s also no loss of pride for the elderly recipients, as it is framed as a means of effectively using up home-grown surplus. “The elderly residents in the community feel
d and respected, seen, supported and it fosterrs interactions/ links bettween them and bers of the local memb mmunity, which com benefits mental heealth. “Our elders deserve this.” d Local gardeners can either be paired up one-to-one h a pensioner with (for the passing on of produce to the pensioner whenever itt is available), n make one-off or gardeners can via a contact donations of produce vi person (pensioner) who distributes it amongst a group of elderly residents nearby (living in the same block of retirement units, for example). The project is still in the early stages with an increasing amount of connections being made between gardeners and pensioners. “I’m aiming to set up more of these as more gardeners and keen potential recipients contact me asking for this. “It’s a simple and easy way for people in the community to help others.” She hopes the project will expand to other areas in the country too. “With each new gardener who contacts me, or person from a local organisation offering support/suggestions, or pensioner who wants to be a recipient, it reinforces that The SEDE Project is genuinely a good idea that is worth pursuing. “That is so encouraging and motivates me to keep moving forward.” Home gardeners could even plan to plant a little extra in the future with the intention of giving surplus produce to pensioners, she said. “There’s no wastage of precious homegrown produce, with the surplus going to a worthwhile cause.” Visit The Sede Project Facebook page for more information.
A selection of fresh produce. INSET: Rangiora woman Julie Lamplugh has set up The SEDE Project to help elderly people get fresh vegetables. Photos/Supplied
