Residents of the Cottell Heights Apartments on Pleasant Street in the Flint worked with Lydia Silva, a local expert on permaculture, to plan the planting of several fruit trees and blueberry bushes next to their building. Much of the funding for the project was provided by a Vela Foundation grant On May 27, 2015, they were joined by participants in the Fall River YouthBuild Program who volunteered to assemble four cedar raised beds and fill them with mulch. "We're grateful to YouthBuild who came out and helped us build these beautiful garden beds here at Cottell," said Silva. "We're pretty excited about the results today," stated Mass in Motion Fall River Coodinator Julie Kelly after the project was completed. The garden will be tended by the residents and the resulting produce shared among those who live in the high-rise development that houses senior citizens and handicapped individuals. Click here for a two-minute video of the planting. Click here for pictures and video of the original planning session with the residents and here for the planting of the fruit trees and berry bushes. For further information, contact Julie Kelly at 508-324-2405. (Most photos courtesy of Brian Moses)

(Top row) Participants in the Fall River YouthBuild Program set up four raised beds and line them with paper outside the Cottell Heights Apartments in the Flint for residents to plant vegetables. (Row two) Under Ms. Silva's direction, the YouthBuild crew fills the beds with mulch provided by the Fall River Housing Authority. (Row three) Mass in Motion Coordinator Julie Kelly talks with Chemyk Bryant of the YouthBuild Program. (Row three, center and right) Carlos Cosme, Hector Figueroa, Montana Fernandes, Lydia Silva, Chemyk Bryant, Kyile Morreira and Cruz Vertentes pose for a photo in front of the completed beds before Ms. Silva begins placing the plants. (Row four) Residents Henda Plosker and George Burton watch as more plants are placed in the garden by George and Julie. (Bottom row) Cottell Apartment resident George Burton  tends to some of the plants that included kale, cabbage. peppers, and tomatoes while Julie and a resident look over the finished garden.