A Calgary group, Growing Gratitude YYC, is delivering houseplants to seniors to help them feel less alone.

Growing Gratitude YYC is a community-driven movement started by Vivian Woods in Calgary, Alberta, that delivers plants to seniors who may be lonely, isolated, living with limited mobility, or struggling financially. The group believes that even a small gesture can remind someone that they are seen, valued, and not forgotten.

Woods’s initiative was inspired in part by her grandmother, a centenarian who outlived many of her friends. She says the plants are meant to be more than a gift, as they are something living to care for, while the delivery itself can open the door to a conversation, a visit, and, in some cases, a longer-term friendship.

A plant can be a good reminder for seniors that they’re not alone. While delivering plants, Woods is happy to join the senior for a cup of tea and a conversation, which could be the senior’s only conversation that day. Woods believes that a plant can also create routine and a sense of purpose, as seniors can love and nurture a plant as it grows in their home.

The group’s efforts are helping reduce loneliness among seniors as the plants help create reasons to start conversations, share gardening tips, and build friendships with neighbours. Growing Gratitude YYC plans to create an online community where seniors and volunteers can share photos, stories, and plant-growing experiences, reminding everyone that they are part of a caring community and not alone.

Source: Kevin Green, CTV News