AIM Services, Inc. not only strives to bring inclusion to the community for people with developmental disabilities, they also strive to be involved in the community as a whole.

Healthy Living Market not only strives to bring a healthy way of life to the community, but also through their dedicated fundraising efforts, strives to be involved in the community as a whole.

With these parallel messages, AIM Services, Inc. and Healthy Living Market are a perfect pair for collaboration.

The Project

Homestead is a property owned by AIM Services, Inc. located on approximately 5 acres of land. For many years the land has been unused and overgrown with a partial apple orchard in need of clean-up.

AIM dreamed of utilizing this land to build a greenhouse and grow vegetables, herbs, fruit, and flowers.

As a result of Healthy Living’s dedication to fundraising in the community, and vast knowledge of organics; they became the ideal partner for making this project a reality.

The Initiative

This project is a component of AIM’s Employment Services program. “Our vision is to establish an accessible garden that is an integrated work site for people of all abilities. Through the garden our goal is to increase community involvement and appreciation of all abilities while teaching vocational skills to those that have a desire to obtain employment”, said Katie Page, Program Director for Employment Services.

The Product

In addition to the array of organic foods, the Homestead project, named Common Roots Garden, would give an opportunity to the people AIM serves to experience and learn first-hand, all that goes into creating the foods they eat every day.

With a greenhouse for year round growing, and raised garden beds for people with limited mobility; Common Roots Garden will be accessible for everyone.

With your help, this project has the potential to support many of AIM’s programs, which support over 800 people and families in our community; from AIM’s newest initiative, Enhanced Respite, where young individuals can learn what seeds can grow into and how to plant them, all the way to Supported Employment, where individuals work on life skills to obtain and maintain employment.

Interested in ways you can help? Visit our Get Involved page.