THOMASVILLE – It may be winter, but residents at an assisted living facility in Thomasville have found a way to help the Chair City’s first community garden effort.

With the help of Ledford High School’s electrical trades class, residents at The Oaks of Thomasville will grow tomatoes in its winter garden. Ledford students on Friday helped erect a winter garden, which is comprised of shelves and grow lights, inside the facility’s activity room.

“I just think it’s a good way to give back to the community,” Ledford junior Josh Kearns said. “It’s a good way to give them something to do during the winter when you can’t grow plants outside. It’s just something to help the community out.”

Tammy Burris, activity director for The Oaks of Thomasville, said residents will begin planting seeds in January.

Once spring comes, tomato plants will be taken to Thomasville’s community garden, located on a piece of land on Memorial Park Drive, which is owned by Habitat for Humanity.

“This is an excellent opportunity because a lot of them here miss working in their gardens,” Burris said. “They will want to be very involved in this. For this to go back to the community is great because our residents keep involved.”

Greg Rice, executive director of Habitat for Humanity, said the winter garden gives the residents “an opportunity to do something meaningful in their activity room.”

“These folks, although they are sort of living in a confined environment, they’re still able to contribute to the community,” Rice said. “This work is tedious. Once you start separating all these seedlings, it’s tedious work, but they are willing to contribute.”

This past summer, a group in Thomasville began the city’s first community garden, with the assistance of Habitat for Humanity, to give low-income families the chance to have healthy and fresh food. The city also installed a hydrant for volunteers to water the garden. The group said many times that the garden was free for anyone to pick from.

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