Helped Establish an Innovative CAARE Garden
This season, the Porticos team continued the holiday tradition of giving back to the community by working with Durham non-profit CAARE, Inc.
Our crew helped establish an innovative healing garden that will provide therapeutic benefits and skills training for our nation’s veterans. Our Porticos volunteers pitched in to construct raised garden beds and a hoop greenhouse, built an ornamental pond, and spruced up the existing building to make an inviting space for therapeutic activity and relaxation.
Porticos team members working in the CAARE healing garden.“The work that Porticos did advanced the Aquaponic / Horticulture project at CAARE towards completion. It will be extremely beneficial to veterans who will eventually live at CAARE Durham facility. It is very rewarding to know that we used our engineering skills and helped build something that will in turn help Veterans transition back into civilian life and learn invaluable skills about organic, energy efficient and self-sufficient healthy food growth,” said Porticos Design Engineer Ludmila West.
Supported by partner Aquaponicfood4thought, the caare garden will help disabled veterans recover from post-traumatic stress disorder. The energy-efficient, aquaponic design features a greenhouse and handicapped accessibility. By working on the garden from seedlings to harvest, veterans will learn the ins and outs of sustainable food production in a multi-function aquaponic garden. Organic produce and fish raised by the veterans will be distributed locally—in the community kitchen, the food pantry, or at market.
Because healing takes more than just medical care, supports clients with a range of approaches to health and healing. And because we are committed to serving our community and helping those in need, Porticos is proud to be a part of this promising project.
Special thanks to Porticos employees for contributing their time and energy to the project. For more information about the therapeutic garden and aquaponics, see CAARE, Inc. and Aquaponicfood4thought.
The Porticos team at CAARE.