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Garden help for seniors at Hospice Society workathon

Twenty workers helped out 17 seniors at weekend event
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From left, Dominique Huchet, Tara Keirn, Eric Hollet, Savannah Hollett and Kate Thom visited several yards and gardens on Sunday helping out seniors no longer able to do yard work. See more photos below. Photo: Bill Metcalfe

One of the challenges of getting older if you own a house might be that you can’t look after your garden the way you used to.

That was the case for Liz Bossio this year. She registered with the Nelson Hospice Society’s annual workathon, in which teams of volunteers are deployed to seniors’ homes to rake leaves, put gardens to bed and haul out garden waste.

Twenty people divided into five teams helped out 17 clients at this year’s event on Sunday.

“I am a senior and I also have health issues,” Bossio said. “I try to do what I can, but I tire very easily so I really appreciate the help. I think it’s great. It’s a worthy cause.”

In Bossio’s yard, Kate Thom was among a crew of volunteers raking leaves and cutting back plants for the winter.

“It is really fun to help out people in the community who maybe don’t have the support they need,” Thom said. “We get to meet lots of lovely new people and do some gardening and learn some new gardening techniques too — a lot of wisdom from some of the people we have been helping out today.”

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Bill Metcalfe

About the Author: Bill Metcalfe

I have lived in Nelson since 1994 and worked as a reporter at the Nelson Star since 2015.
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