Friendship between residents and students flourishes after donation of pots

Thanks to a project in a local high school geometry class, residents of Good Samaritan Society – The Pines assisted living facility in Jackson, Minnesota, received two flower boxes for their community garden.

Jackson County Central High School math teacher Rhonda Schmidt said the project was part of her Geometry in Construction class, and she and her students used the course to make an impact in the community. The idea for the planter boxes came about after students sold handmade Christmas trees during the holiday season, and it just took off from there.

“One of the ladies who bought a few (trees) contacted me to ask if we would build some garden beds for her,” Schmidt said. “So we started by building one for her and then just put it on Facebook to see if anyone would be interested. We had a bunch of people responding to us to build them, so we built them and sold them. (Then) someone wrote on Facebook, ‘You should donate them to the Pines.’”

That simple Facebook comment was the spark that ignited the class. The group of 21 students designed the plans for the flower boxes, then used pine to make the vision a reality. Once the work was done, the last thing to do was deliver them to the assisted living community, where residents were waiting with excitement and anticipation.

“When I told our residents that we were getting (the flower boxes) and that they were going to be delivered, they were over the moon,” said Allison Snyder, a nurse who is the manager of The Pines. “We have a lot of residents who enjoy gardening and planting flowers, so this was awesome. (The boxes) are raised, so they can participate, even if they have a walker. They don’t have to get down on the ground to plant flowers. When they arrived that morning, probably 12 to 15 residents came out right after lunch and looked at them.”

Even weeks after their unveiling, Snyder said, the boxes are still a popular gathering spot on campus. While the boxes are currently full of flowers, expect a few juicy tomatoes to join the mix at some point, she added.

“I see residents every day admiring the flowers,” Snyder said. “It means a lot that the younger generation supports us and is proud of what they’ve built. (Residents) want to grow tomatoes, so we’re just waiting for the right time in the season.”

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