2 Thursday, June 20, 2024 BATTLE CREEK SHOPPER NEWS http://www.thebattlecreekshopper.com
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Executive Editor
Four members of the Battle
Creek Police Department C.O.P.S.
(Community Oriented Policing) team
spent June 5 building raised flower
beds and creating a labyrinth walk-
ing path.
Employees of Honor Credit Union
were at the same location pulling
weeds and planting flowers, while
Charles River Corporation work-
ers planted vegetables, Emmanuel
Covenant Church International
supplied plants, Redemption
Construction repaired a fence and
Kathy Antaya guided the gardening.
It was all part of the Gracious
Homes annual Day of Caring
in which Founder and CEO
Grace Cowens celebrates World
Environment Day by making sure
women who reside at her 90-day res-
idential rehabilitation program have
fresh vegetables to eat and a safe and
comfortable yard to enjoy as part of
their therapy and programming.
It also served as a fund raiser for
future privacy fencing around the
property for the residents and the
gardens, she said.
Gracious Homes, founded by
Cowens in 2003, is a transitional
housing facility where up to five
women at a time can receive up
to 120 days of structured support
services with the goal of reducing
homelessness.
The raised garden was first built
at last year’s Day of Caring before
being expanded last week, said
Cowens.
“This is specifically for vegeta-
tion so we interviewed the girls toVolunteers from BCPD, church, businesses
give Day of Caring to Gracious Homes
Volunteers from Charles River Co.
in Mattawan plant this year’s crop of
vegetables Wednesday at Gracious
Homes. (Shopper News photo by Shelly
Kehrle-Sulser)Members of the Battle Creek Police
Department C.O.P.S. Team helped
build a new peace labyrinth at
Gracious Homes on Day of Caring.
(Shopper News photo by Shelly Kehrle-Sulser)see what they wanted and came up
with the idea of a let’s do something
with peppers,” said Cowens of the
expanded garden, that as of last
week now also includes strawberries.
“That was the whole purpose last
year was to not only provide this for
the women but for the families in the
neighborhood who came over and
helped maintain the garden,” said
Cowens. “This was just an added gift
for them to have in their household.
It was one less expense.”
The gardens are maintained by the
Gracious Homs residents as part of
their rehabilitation program.
“It’s also therapy, we use it,” said
Cowens. “It’s rewarding for them to
see from garden to table to use the
food that they grow for their meals.”
The purpose of the labyrinth
installed last week during Day
Caring is to increase therapeutic
options for the residents.
“Next year, with the new fencing,
we want to enclose the whole yard,”
she said.
In all, there were around 25 volun-
teers on site last week.
“And, we’ve had some monetary
support from Honor Credit Union as
well as the Battle Creek Community
Foundation,” she said, “as well as a
lot of in kind contributions.”