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Community TeamWorks (CTW) volunteers from Goldman Sachs recently helped to plant in our Urban Farm at the Upper East Side residence in Manhattan. Under the tutelage of our partners at the Horticultural Society of New York, the volunteers helped to get the garden ready for summer’s bounty.
The garden now looks fantastic! Check out all the wonderful pictures on our Flickr. But it’s not only beautiful; it’s functional as well. Our Urban Farms are an integral part of our integrated approach to mental and physical health. Growing some of our own vegetables teaches clients how to eat healthier, as well as provides them with a sense of accomplishment and pride for cultivating them. Lunch for the clients and volunteers was prepared using vegetables that can be found in the garden, and the whole event was topped off with the planting of a commemorative peach tree.
The Bridge extends its deepest gratitude for the time and effort the Goldman Sachs CTW team put in to this project. We encourage all types of volunteering. Some of the main areas for people to volunteer with The Bridge are teaching a skill to our clients, like using the computer or cooking, and leading social or recreational activities, like a trip to a museum or residence activities. For information about volunteering please contact Ann Hyatt, Director of Development and External Relations, at ahyatt@thebridgeny.org. or call 212-663-3000, ext. 379.
The primary goal is to help empower clients to take charge of their own health. The majority of her time is spent seeing clients in the community residences for extra support because these clients are in charge of their own doctor appointments and medications. She also works with clients in apartment treatment, graduate housing and individual scatter-site apartments.
Suzanne’s biggest roles are as an educator on good health practices, and communications liaison with residence and case managers about specific client needs. As part of the full time nurse services, Suzanne will go to doctor appointments with clients acting as their patient advocate to aid communication, and put an action plan in place after the visit. Suzanne also holds information sessions during community group meetings at the residences on various topics such as diabetes care, high blood pressure, and smoking issues.
Full time nurse services allow The Bridge to offer treatment for mental illness recovery that is inclusive of the physical wellbeing of clients. This can decrease client dependence on emergency room services, catch early warning signs, and keep the health of the clients on track.
