Manija Hamidullah, The Circle
A Waterloo-area renovation company has paired up with social service agency to provide a greenhouse to support the fresh-food needs of area seniors.
Pioneer Craftsmen, a renovation firm that does business in Waterloo Region and Wellington County, designed and built the greenhouse on a new concrete pad alongside the kitchen, accessible raised herb bed, and garden at Community Support Connections.
This greenhouse permits the agency’s staff to plant seeds for herbs and vegetables to be used on CSC’s Meals on Wheels program. Meals on Wheels offers free delivery of daily meals served to seniors who are trying to live independently. The meals get delivered right to their doorsteps.
“We partnered with Pioneer Craftsmen because they were looking for an organization in the community to get involved with, and we submitted a proposal to build a greenhouse to support our garden,” said Will Pace, executive director of Community Support Connections.
The Pioneer Craftsmen team spent months researching the project before installation began.
CSC built its own kitchen more than four years ago; it is a place where volunteers are able to work and accept fresh food donations.
CSC relies on more than 1,300 volunteers, donors and supporters to help out with over 7,500 clients in the Waterloo Region. Their programs include services focusing on nutrition, physical health, social well-being and aging at home, which offers services in homemaking and snow removal.
In 2014, the community raised $600,000 in a capital campaign to allow CSC to be able to open its own kitchen after a 30-year-old long dream. Volunteer groups and other individuals help to prepare up to 350 meals each week day, Monday to Friday.
In 2016, funds from 100 Women Who Care Waterloo Region raised enough money to build a garden bed, which supplies fresh local ingredients for CSC’s recipes.
