The health and self-esteem of Windsor's vulnerable youth is improving thanks to a community garden.
Executive Director of the Windsor Youth Centre Tamara Kowalska says a grant of $13,000 from the TD Canada Trust Friends of the Environment Foundation helped establish the garden back in the spring.
"The youth who come to us typically don't have a lot of safe spaces in their lives. They don't have a lot of places where they can feel comfortable," she explains. "To have one that's so beautiful, but that also offers a learning experience, has been really exciting."
She says the centre's youth have really taken responsibility for the plants, and she can see a change in them when they witness their hard work paying off.
The money from TD went toward building the garden itself, but also hiring qualified staff who can teach about gardening and harvesting, while being able to supervise young people in crisis.
