CAREGIVER • SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2019 • 15
HOPE GROWS
mental and emotional wellness and offers
a variety of ways in which to do that.
After establishing the non-profit,
Story, her husband and children began
creating healing and restorative gardens
around their 2.5-acre property.
They now have seven, including a
sensory garden they call the Garden of
Hope, with a waterfall and pond. They
have a Japanese meditative garden they
call the Garden of Healing and Peace.
They open the gardens on the last Sunday
of each month from May through
October to allow caregivers and care
recipients the opportunity to come take
self-guided walks through the gardens
and trails and enjoy the beauty and
tranquility of nature.
While they were building a greenhouse
on the property, Story said, they learned
something else that led her to believe
what they’re doing is meant to be. They
were the last family to buy a parcel of
what was once a 14-acre property about
a mile from Robert Morris University. A
neighbor told her that the people who
owned the 14 acres were willed the land
by a woman for whom they served as
caregivers at the end of her life.
“I’ve since confirmed the story with
the township historical society, so it is
a true story,” she said. “The woman was
a gardener herself and had a vision of
turning the property into a nature conservancy
of some sort.”
Hope Grows serves the caregiver population
in more ways than just providing
beautiful gardens.
They provide counseling, education
and support groups. They conduct
phone call check-ins with caregivers,
and, every October, they sponsor a
Caregiver Day of Respite at the Pittsburgh
Botanic Gardens. It’s a day where
caregivers pay just $10 and can choose
from various activities to engage in fun
and relaxation along with coffee, breakfast
nibbles, a brunch and an ice cream
social.
At Thanksgiving, they partner with
Bob Evans to bring holiday meals to
caregivers. Last year, they delivered 172
dinners.
“It’s not a matter of financial need, it’s
the time constraints of not being able to
leave the house to shop or finding time
to cook the meal or your family’s out
of town but you can’t travel,” she said.
“Those are the needs we’re looking for.”
Now that her children have grown
and moved out, Story hopes to convert
the family home to a bed and breakfast
for caregivers, where they’ll be able to
spend one or several nights taking care
of themselves.
In her vision, they’ll be able to choose
from gardening activities, walks, yoga,
meditation and other activities. They’ll
also be able to receive counseling or
schedule a hair appointment or massage
if they’d like. Or, they can just sleep and
do nothing.
“I think most caregivers don’t think
about themselves in terms of caring for
themselves because they’re nurturers,”
she said. “But a lot can happen when
you don’t take care of yourself. You end
up getting burned out or getting sick,
and then you’re not as good as you
should be for the person you’re providing
care for.”
For more information about Hope
Grows and its programs, visit hopegrows.
net or call 412-369-4673.
HOPE GROWS
The Hope Grows gardens are open the last Sunday of
each month from May through October.