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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2023 | maconmagazine.com 87 incorporated into the meals of the people Brookdale serves. The garden thrives under the watchful eye of part-time caretakers, Susan Fisher and Mallory Mahoney. "Resolute" is perhaps the best word to describe these ladies. They plant, coax, coddle their tender plants, ensuring that the harvest makes it into the kitchen. Mallory assists Marcus Lucas, nutrition coordinator at Brookdale, and his staff to get the produce prepared to serve. Marcus commented, "We've been using fresh veggies and herbs from our garden to make tasty dishes like cucumber salad and pasta salad. Our stir fry with garden-grown squash and tomatoes was a big hit, and people still talk about it. They love the fresh taste of our food, especially the berries from our garden. Our garden has made our menu better, and we're excited to see what else we can cook up in the future." The continued success of this garden also relies heavily on our community volunteers. The support of the United Way of Central Georgia allows for easy sharing of volunteer needs and recruiting help from the community. Susan and Mallory have regularly scheduled volunteer work days on Tuesday and Thursday mornings – but are happy to accommodate any groups who want to help out at other times. High school students, college students, industry leaders, and professionals from a variety of backgrounds have all come together to support this project and have learned a thing or two about gardening along the way! "What started off as an old basketball court with weeds growing through the cracks quickly became a field of 50 raised beds surrounded by freshly mulched paths." THE 411 ON BROOKDALE RESOURCE CENTER AND HELLO HOUSE Brookdale Resource Center's 90-day program offers a supportive environment and essential resources for our neighbors affected by homelessness to rebuild their lives, including: l A dedicated caseworker l An individualized program l Assistance with enrolling in school, obtaining government documents like birth certificates, and/or accessing government benefits Hello House is part of Brookdale's holistic approach, offering: l A short term, low-barrier entrance shelter l 50-bed capacity l Nutritious breakfast and dinner daily l Intakes available between 4 and 6 p.m. Get involved Learn more and donate at unitedwaycg.org/ BrookdaleResourceCenter. For information on classes offfered, contact Susan at susan.fisher@uga.edu. To sign up for volunteer opportunities, including their regular Tuesday and Thursday workdays, visit unitedwaycg.org/gardens-brookdale. CENTER PHOTO BY KAROL KELLY. LEFT AND RIGHT PHOTOS BY CHRIS FLOORE.