Planning — venue not confirmed
Paradise Creek Seniors Garden and Healthy Cooking
A twelve-week, land-free pilot for 12–18 seniors, alternating container-gardening workshops with healthy-cooking demonstrations.
Where this stands
Planning — the accessible venue and the Berry Good Food Foundation partnership are both still to be confirmed, so no start date is published. The pilot is twelve weeks and needs no land: everything is grown in containers. The cash budget is not assigned because the venue terms and the partner contribution are not established.
About this project
Paradise Creek Seniors Garden and Healthy Cooking
This one needs no land at all. For twelve weeks, twelve to eighteen seniors meet weekly for two hours — odd weeks a container-gardening workshop, even weeks a healthy-cooking demonstration — in an accessible meeting space in the Paradise Creek area.
Everything is grown in containers, so participants can keep gardening without a garden. The cooking side is proposed to come from the Berry Good Food Foundation, which would supply the demonstration needs and an instructor for at least eighteen on-site hours across six visits. That partnership is not yet confirmed.
The measures are set out in advance: deliver all twelve sessions, and have at least 75% of those enrolled attend nine or more of them. A final survey asks about cooking confidence, gardening confidence, and connection with neighbours — which is the outcome that matters most and the hardest one to count.
After week twelve, CCE decides whether to repeat it, revise it or expand it. The plan estimates 268 hours of labour at twelve participants, or 306 at thirteen to eighteen.
The work
What it actually takes
How the twelve weeks run
- Before week 1: secure an accessible venue, confirm the Berry Good Food scope, enrol participants and orient volunteers
- Weeks 1–12: a weekly two-hour session — odd weeks gardening, even weeks cooking
- Week 12: a final demonstration, recipe sharing and pilot feedback
- After week 12: a joint review and a decision on whether to continue
- Recruit and orient volunteers, including trained alternates who can cover absences
- Prepare the portable plants and garden supplies, and assign a plant caretaker
What is needed
What this project needs
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An accessible meeting space
Needed for all twelve sessions in the Paradise Creek area. This is the first thing blocking the pilot.
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A written arrangement with Berry Good Food
Confirming the items, the instructor and the dates.
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12–18 senior participants
Enrolment includes access needs, language and dietary information, so the sessions can actually work for the people in them.
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A pilot coordinator
Venue and partner agreement, enrolment, reminders, attendance, scheduling, supply records and the final report. About 90 hours.
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A garden and session lead
Delivers the six garden sessions, supports the cooking setup, manages plants and tools, and readies the room. About 60 hours.
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Session volunteers — 4 needed
Welcome and participant support; garden materials and food-service setup; supplies and cleanup; table support. Three hours per session across twelve sessions, plus a two-hour orientation.
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Trained alternates — 2 needed
To cover volunteer absences, plus orientation.
The money
What is known about the cost
- Cash budget: not assigned, because the venue terms and the partner contribution are not established
- Labour: 268 hours at 12 participants, or 306 hours at 13–18 participants
- Partner instructor: at least 18 on-site hours across six three-hour visits
- Berry Good Food Foundation is proposed to supply the cooking-demonstration needs, to be agreed in writing
Other CCE projects
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Planning — no site designated yet
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Sweetwater Community Garden Compost and Kids Garden
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Planning — lease in progress
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Planning — date and venue to confirm
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Proposed for March 28 – April 3, 2027
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A seven-day, ride-anywhere pledge fundraiser for youth programs in Community HousingWorks communities, starting with Paradise Creek.