Youngsters and Senior Citizens Spend Time Together at YCCC Garden

About a dozen youngsters, students at the , held tomatoes and zuchinnis and watered the plants at a garden behind the . 

The garden project was initiated by the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services and was an active collaborator in setting up, along with the Food Bank, an opportunity for senior citizens to plant topsy turvy plants. 

The garden is also used by the youngsters. As part of the summer program, students are taught about the environment, the plants and even had a chance to plant some themselves, said Vera Correa, program director for Bright Beginnings. 

"It's a sense of community at a very young age," Correa said.

Mary DeSilva, director of the Yorktown Nutrition Center, said the plants were all grown at Muscoot Farm, and the senior citizens are looking to plant even more next year. 

"We're trying to do something for the seniors outside of them playing cards," she said. 

Councilman Vishnu Patel said his main goal is to bring together the youngsters and the seniors, or whom he calls the "young at heart." Anthony DeRosa, whose family owned the DeRosa Farm where now French Hill School stands, said seeing the young boys and girls reminded of himself at a young age spending time at the farm with his father.

"I feel like the kids will have respect for everything that grows," he said. 

Bright Beginnings opened its doors at the Yorktown Community and Cultural Center 28 years ago. Over the years, teachers and directors have collaborated with the Senior Nutrition Center and held performances for the senior citizens.

Thank you for reading! You can "like" Yorktown Patch on Facebook and follow our Tweets.