Girl Scout Troop Launches Gardening Club For Basking Ridge Seniors

BASKING RIDGE, NJ - Four Girl Scouts from Troop 63009 have launched a gardening club at Arbor Terrace Assisted Living in Basking Ridge as part of their Girl Scout Silver Award project, aimed at boosting residents' mental and social well-being.

Aviana Efraimov, Rachel Ellis, Kate Marcoff and Natalie Tomaich chose to focus on senior wellness after recognizing the importance of social connection to emotional health, according to the scouts. The Silver Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout Cadette can earn in middle school, requiring scouts to identify a community need and implement a sustainable, lasting solution.

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"We selected this project after noticing how much our own grandparents' social lives had slowed down as they got older," Efraimov said in a statement. "Both Kate and I have watched our grandfather battle dementia. As his mental health declined, his world shrank. That personal experience inspired us to step in and make a difference."

Through monthly gardening club meetings, the scouts have worked alongside residents to build an indoor herb garden and an outdoor vegetable garden, along with nature-themed sensory activities intended to encourage conversation and creativity.

"Since we all love gardening, it felt like the perfect way to give back and share our passion," the scouts said. "This project has allowed us to help seniors build friendships and find new joy. Watching the residents smile, share stories, and connect with one another has proven that simple activities truly have the power to lift spirits and reduce loneliness."

To help the project continue long-term, the teens designed and built wheelchair-accessible planter boxes with help from their Industrial Arts teacher and wrote instructional guides so Arbor Terrace staff and residents can independently maintain the gardens.

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