This summer, seeds of hope have taken root, enhancing the path to recovery in ways both symbolic and tangible at The Salvation Army Southeast Michigan Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC). On a 20’ x 20’ plot atop a sunny hill just outside of the ARC is a neatly tended vegetable garden. Quite remarkable in contrast to its surroundings, it is a bit amazing to take in the thriving garden against a backdrop of truck bays and busy downtown traffic.
The garden has proven to be a source of both therapy and education for the men at the ARC who tilled, and now tend it. Although planning began while snow was still on the ground, the real work began in late April. The site which had never before been anything more than a field filled with hard dirt and rocks, best suited for only the hardiest of weeds, needed extensive preparation. Under the supervision of Tim Hunt, a former ARC graduate, the plot was staked out, tilled, and then tilled again. The soil was enriched with organic manure, mixed with topsoil. An experienced gardener, Tim brought knowledge - and patience in his work kit. The first Saturday morning which he volunteered to the project attracted a small rooting section of associates from his ‘real’ job along with a couple of relatives, but the expected co-volunteers had to be scouted down. Undaunted, Tim pressed on and was eventually assisted by those initially curious who turned into helpers. Weeding and watering assistants have since fallen into place. Tim oversees the project daily and still fills in the gaps, making sure that the garden gets the steadfast attention which it requires.
The accompanying photos show the beginning (and progression) of what has become a weekly harvest of collard greens, green onions, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers. The food will be used through the ARC kitchen to help in providing the over 675,000 meals it produces annually as well as a lesson in perseverance. The food will enrich the bodies as the program enriches the lives.
Seeds of hope, long recognized as an essential element of the process of establishing lives free from the bonds of alcohol and chemical dependency, are cultivated daily at the ARC. The 6-month program enriches those enrolled in it through counseling (approximately 120,000 sessions annually) and Worship / Christian Education (130,000 contacts annually). The seeds sown in the ARC garden are an outward sign of the healthy growth taking place in the men in residence at this amazing place called the ARC, where the real victory is in the lives reclaimed from ruin, now redirected to productive and healthy goals. This tangible symbol of hope presents itself as reminder of the daily commitment made by the men in the program who persevere, victorious in their recovery.
