Growing veggies and flowers keeps Mount Alverno residents young and happy

WARWICK - It’s harvest time in the garden at Mount Alverno Center, Thanks to a donation from the St. Anthony Community Hospital Auxiliary (SACHA) and the skills of members of Chester Boy Scout Troop 152, Mount Alverno residents have been able to enjoy the fun of growing fresh produce and even making homemade sauce from tomatoes raised in their own vegetable gardens. Colorful flowers in the same garden area offer residents a pleasant spot to relax during each growing season while watching the progress of their plantings. Last year, Freddy Salamone, a member of Chester’s Boy Scout Troop 152, decided to built the vegetable gardens as his Eagle Scout project. With materials purchased by SACHA and help from his father, Assistant Scoutmaster Fred Salamone, along with Scoutmaster Jim Goodrich, Assistant Scoutmaster Phil Lang and Eagle Scout Brian Goodrich, the gardens were completed just in time for planting. “This was a wonderful accomplishment,” said Mount Alverno Center Administrator Lisa Fedorka. “Our residents love this garden and many enjoy the relaxation of watering the plants and flowers or just sitting by them in this peaceful and picturesque setting. We are grateful to everyone who contributed their time and talents to building these gardens and to those family members and staff who volunteer each year to maintain them for the enjoyment of our residents.“ Bon Secours Charity Health System includes three New York hospitals: Bon Secours Community Hospital, Port Jervis, Good Samaritan Hospital, Suffern, and St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick. Bon Secours Charity Health System provides the services of a Certified Home Health Agency, two long-term care facilities, an assisted-living and adult-home facility, and several other community based medical programs serving nearly half a million people in seven counties and three states. Bon Secours Charity Health System is a member of the Bon Secours Health System, Inc., based in Marriottsville, Maryland.