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Seniors on the Move |
Ralph Leon
“My grandmother taught me to garden as a hobby, and I’ve been doing it ever since,” shares Mr. Leon. “I like the peace of a garden, and helping things grow. There’s always something to learn.” Mr. Leon helped to design the garden, and participated in the digging with local youth volunteers. He was volunteering at the Center every day, and enjoying it, but he had to walk from home – at 53rd Street – to 5th Street, and the heat of summer was affecting him. He was considering cutting back on his gardening activities when Recreation Leader Shuwona Marlow provided him with Omnitrans information. Mr. Leon tried riding the bus, and changed much more than his walking route – his community opened up to him. “With the bus, I can get everywhere I need to go – to the store, to take care of business, to visit – no matter what the weather is like,” he says. “And it saves me money!” Most importantly, if you stop by the 5th Street Senior Center any morning of the week you’ll see Mr. Leon, pruning, watering, and making plans. The Center’s nutrition program soon will be incorporating vegetables from the garden into their lunch menus, and that’s just the beginning. Then he packs up and heads out to the Route 14 stop, ready for his next adventure.
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Several months ago Mr. Leon, a retired Kansas native, moved to San Bernardino. While looking for part-time work, he noticed the 5th Street Senior Center and began to visit. When he learned that the Center was starting a garden on its backyard green, he became a regular.