On any given day at the George Strayton Center, also known as Venture Quest on Main Street in Sparkill, developmentally disabled adults have the opportunity to step outside this Camp Venture Day Home. Camp Venture calls it their “Without Walls” Program, where 40-43 intrepid adventurers meet. On their travels they can pick a tomato, some green beans, peppers, lettuce, basil, garlic and onions and go inside and make themselves a healthy lunch.
The Camp Venture community garden, which was built around 2008, is a recipient of a 2012 grant, through The Rockland Alliance for Health (RAH), who chose to assist in sustaining the work and funding needed to maintain a garden of this nature.
Rockland Alliance for Health (RAH), a grassroots organization, was started with the sole mission to be a leader in prevention and promotion of public health interventions that result in sustainable changes in policy, practice and the environment. Spearheaded by passionate professionals with backgrounds in public health, non-profit leaders and educators, all with strong ties to the community, Rockland Alliance for Health offers various awards to community and faith-based organizations, worksites and school. Besides Camp Venture, grants have been awarded to Campus Fun and Learn Child Development Center; Children of Mary Nursery/Kindergarten; Martin Luther King Multi-Purpose Center and Rockland Country Day School.
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“It’s amazing to see,” said Cathy Hanlon, Assistant Site Director at the George Strayton Center, “our adults help with the planting, dirt hauling and certainly the eating! Many are drawn to the work. We have added a hoop house and expect to have about eight beds of vegetables this year.”
Rockland Alliance for Health raises money through RAH Event fundraisers, grants and recently joined the Rockland Community Foundation to assist in extending their reach to Rockland County.
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“We felt that the Community Foundation would enable our small non-profit to establish a sustainable source of funding that will ensure that more projects like Camp Venture’s garden receive monies and help them thrive.” said Joan Facelle, past Commissioner of Health for Rockland County and current RAH Board President.
Rockland Alliance for Health’s fundraisers are intimate, fun and dare to be different. A Latin Dance Party was a very successful fundraiser held this past November at the Gagliardi Dance Studio in Nyack http://bit.ly/1ibbYPK and there has also been a “Cooking with Chocolate” hands on event in collaboration with Rockland Community College, a family “Geo-caching” event and RAH plans to continue holding creative, fun, health oriented and inspiring RAH Events.
To contribute to RAH and find out more about Rockland Alliance for Health, visit the Rockland Community Foundation website (www.rocklandgives.org).
