Blog

In April 2014, Carter Salis, a 17 year old Eagle Scout Candidate from North Olmstead and a member of the Westlake UMC, reached out to Flat Rock Homes and expressed his interest in having his Eagle Scout Project where he knew he could make a difference in someone’s life. Flat Rock shared with him their long time desire for raised garden beds, to better help those individuals in wheelchairs and walkers to contribute to the care and attention of a garden alongside their peers.

Through several planning meetings between Carter and Flat Rock, he put together an outstanding blueprint complete with: several raised garden beds, aisles between the beds wide enough to accommodate wheelchair capability, a rain barrel irrigation system and compost barrel.
Now, because of Carter’s hard work on this project, our individuals learn (through a hands on experience) about the cycle of life; starting with planting seeds, caring for the plants, and enjoying the fruits of their labor, to recycling the remains and using the compost to start new life again. Now they are able to learn the value of healthy nutrition, which ties into the theme for this year’s Flat Rock Summer Activities Program, “Team Nutrition”.

The construction of this project took place June 13-15^th, with the help of Boy Scout Troop #41 (from the Bethesda on the Bay Lutheran Church) and their leaders. Carter and his team spent many hours digging, building and installing the gardens. Flat Rock Homes now has a beautifully laid garden for growing vegetables along with a rain barrel irrigation system, as well as three free standing garden beds and a soon to be compost barrel. Our individuals can now easily grow their own crops and are thrilled to be able to care for them with ease. This would not have been possible without the determination and heart that Carter and his team put into this project to better help those with Developmental Disabilities.

Flat Rock Homes and all its residents thank Carter and his team for all their hard work and dedication!