March 28, 2022 - EDINA, MN...The Ebenezer Society Foundation is pleased to announce funding for two projects from the Mark Thomas Innovation Fund named in honor of Ebenezer Society’s previous CEO from 1988 to 2017.
The first project to be funded is a trishaw bicycle on the Ebenezer Ridges Campus in Burnsville, MN. "It is difficult to describe a trishaw bicycle, but this picture is worth a thousand words,’ states Brendan Bannigan, Director of Philanthropy for the Ebenezer Foundation. Essentially, in the back, one ‘pilot’ pedals and steers while two passengers are safely and comfortably seated in the front. Too many seniors no longer have the physical ability to take a bike trip down memory lane, to the park, or just a trip around the neighborhood. This trishaw bicycle provides the opportunity to feel the wind rush through your hair again!"
The total cost of the program was $13,420.80 with funding through a combination of grants received from the Minnesota Department of Human Services and the Ebenezer Society Foundation.
With a $15,000 grant from the Ebenezer Society Foundation's Mark Thomas Innovation Fund, the Ebenezer Society Innovation Committee voted to fund a groundbreaking pilot project at York Gardens in Edina.
Babylon Gardens is an indoor hydroponic gardening system that is all-encompassing inside a mobile display case. It provides fresh micro-greens, multiple types of green leafy lettuce, edible flowers, and herbs that can be handpicked and selected to suit the needs of the site and the residents. It has the ability to incorporate and grow edible, seasonal greens to accommodate the chef’s menu.
In the words of Tamralyn Self, Ebenezer’s Corporate Director of Culinary Services, "This system allows for activities with our residents and children from our intergenerational childcare program. It creates excitement for all our residents by showing them how to grow the plants, learn about them, and then take it to the next step of planning to use in meals. The system allows us to specify areas for certain types of plants that are easily changed out with proper planning to stay current with menu trends and seasonality. It is not intended to be the site’s only source for the items harvested, rather, in addition to the produce we already procure locally from our supplier."
Additionally, the oxygen created by the plants provides a better breathing environment in our dining rooms for residents….and who doesn’t like to reap what they sow after they have nurtured it and watched it grow? Salad anyone?
For more information, or to donate to the Ebenezer Society Foundation, go to:
https://www.ebenezercares.org/ebenezer-foundation
or contact:
Brendan Bannigan, Director of Philanthropy
Ebenezer Society Foundation
7505 Metro Blvd
Edina, MN 55439
brendan.bannigan@fairview.org