Hudson Valley Hospital Center Celebrates Earth Week with Volunteer Day in its Organic Garden

Cortlandt Manor, NY - (April 22, 2014) –  To celebrate Earth Week and the hospital’s commitment to sustainable food initiatives, Hudson Valley Hospital Center will hold a volunteer work day on Wednesday, April 23 from 3-6 p.m. to prepare its Organic Garden for Healing for the growing season.

Volunteers – including a team from Kohl’s Department Store – are expected to roll up their sleeves and participate in a number of projects to get the garden ready for planting. Also joining the group, will be students from Peekskill Middle School who are currently enrolled in the Young Chefs Program as part of the Hospital’s new Peter X. Kelly Teaching Kitchen.

“This is the third season for our Organic Garden for Healing at Hudson Valley Hospital Center, and our plans continue to expand,’’ said Hudson Valley Hospital Center President John Federspiel. “We are expanding our medicinal garden and the selection of herbs and vegetables. We thank Kohl’s Department Store and our garden volunteers for their commitment to our garden and hope members of the community will join us for our 3rd annual volunteer day.’’

Volunteers are urged to bring gloves, shovels and trowels as a limited number of tools will be available for those who do not have them.

The Organic Garden for Healing is part of Hudson Valley Hospital Center’s Harvest for Health program. The garden is managed by hospital and community volunteers under the direction of gardener Laura Perkins of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, a leader in the farm to table movement, and Michael Bulger, coordinator for the garden and the Hospital’s Chef Peter X. Kelly Teaching Kitchen. Produce from the garden will be used in the kitchen, which offers a variety of healthy cooking classes to all age groups, including school students. In addition to the garden, the Hospital runs a twice-monthly Farmer’s Market in its quest to make healthy, local and organic produce available to the community to improve health through nutrition. The first Farmer’s Market of the season at HVHC will be held on May 13. Visit www.hvhc.org under Harvest for Health for more information or call 914-734-3780 about volunteering in the garden.

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Hudson Valley Hospital Center is dedicated to serving the health care needs of the community and to providing quality, comprehensive medical care in a compassionate, professional, respectful manner, without regard to race, religion, national origin or disease category. Offering state-of-the-art diagnostic treatment, education and preventive services, the Hospital is committed to improving the quality of life in the community.  In fulfilling this mission, the Hospital will strive to continuously improve the care provided and develop and offer programs, facilities, systems and alliances that most effectively respond to community health care needs.  Hudson Valley Hospital Center is located on Route 202 (1980 Crompond Road) in Cortlandt Manor, New York. Call 914-737-9000 or visit www.hvhc.org