Center for Ministry Formation

The garden of hope continues to bloom

A journey to the south side of Mercy Health Lorain Hospital leads to a beautiful sight. Exquisite wildflowers, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, marigolds, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, purple cabbage, radishes, broccoli, beans, and other green leafy vegetables bloom in a garden planted and maintained by BSMH associates.

The Garden of Hope was first initiated in 2021 by Fr. Damian Ezeani, to help our colleagues heal from the devastation and loss of life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. And yet it continues to flourish and grow. There are now 24 elevated plots and other extensions located at Mercy Health – Allen Hospital in Oberlin and the Cancer Center in Elyria. Eventually, the garden will be expanded to include community representation. This will bring an outside connection for our various departments and the community.

The project also answers the call by Pope Francis in his encyclical, Laudato si,’ to better steward and care for the earth which is our common home. Additionally, it was designed to foster bonding opportunities among our employees, to promote BSMH’s commitment to sustainability, and to generate new hope and rejuvenation in the hospital. Produce from the Garden of Hope has been harvested and placed in the cafeteria for other employees. In addition, some veggies have been used by Dietary to prepare meals for our patients, with some portions being shared with members of our communities.

While Fr. Damian continues to oversee and nurture the project, various executive leaders, directors and managers have shown great dedication and commitment to our Garden of Hope. Several leaders attended this year’s annual Garden Blessing ceremony to commence our planting season and invited their teams to select their own plots, then plant and tend their vegetables. On a beautiful sunny day in May, with the gentle breeze blowing, leaders gathered again to paint their garden boxes and enjoy some time together outside of usual hospital jobs.

Julie Biroscak, Larry Philips, Karen Hambly, and other leaders have tirelessly led our Garden project. Todd Scott, along with other members of the Facilities team, have put in enormous work to weed and mulch our garden. Carrie Yonkof, Quality Manager/Patient Safety Specialist, said, “My team and I enjoyed planting the garden and watching all the veggies grow this year. Del came up with a great idea to place name tags by each of our plants and so we could root for each other’s plant to grow which made it even more enjoyable. We also shared some of the tomato crops with other departments who were making sauces and salsa. Overall, it was a great experience.” A similar sentiment was shared by Andrea Richards, Care Coordination Manager: “The garden has been a great opportunity for our team to grow together, both literally and as a team bonding experience. When harvesting and sharing our vegetables with each other, it has been nice to see the joy spread to everyone, and the recipes exchanged.”

The Garden of Hope, true to its name, has been an exceptional project and will continue to bring hope and blessings to others each year.