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Health & Fitness

Yail Garden Day Event April 10th

Caminar for Mental Health Announces that The Young Adult Independent Living Program (YAIL) is planning its 6th annual Spring Garden Day Event on Wednesday, April 10.

Caminar Announces April 10 Garden Day Event

SAN MATEO, CA -- April 4th, 2013:

Caminar, a non-profit agency serving the regions of San Mateo County, Solano County, and Butte County, California, today announced that The Young Adult Independent Living Program (YAIL) is planning its 6th annual Spring Garden Day Eventon Wednesday, April 10. YAIL offers support to young adults, between the ages of 18-25, as they transition into adulthood and seek recovery from mental health and substance use issues.

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Garden Day provides the young people who are involved with YAIL the opportunity to work together to spruce up their campus and yard. Many of these youth have never had a stable home and have never planted or grown their own vegetables. Garden Day teaches YAIL’s young people to take ownership, responsibility, and pride in their work.


“I believe Caminar serves a very important role in the community,” said Don Horsley, president of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. “It helps with transitional housing for those who would otherwise become homeless or be in jail or a psych ward. It is the right thing to do,the humane thing to do and the most efficient thing to make a positive impact on this difficult problem.”

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“Garden Day has proven to be one of the most beneficial events at YAIL,” said Chip Huggins, CEO of Caminar. “Planting and caring for flowers and crops gives our youth, who themselves have never been properly cared for and still struggle to care for themselves, a sense of empowerment by caring for and impacting the wellbeing of living things.”


The participants each play a large role in planning the event. They choose plants at a community meeting prior to the event. Projects include setting up and installing new yard furniture, yard maintenance, and planting new flowers and vegetables. Commonly chosen vegetables for their raised vegetable beds include tomatoes, kale, and peppers. YAIL harvests all vegetables to feature in cooking classes and to use for general meals.


This year’s Garden Day is planned for Wednesday April 10th from 11a.m.-5p.m. Supervisor Don Horsley will attend the event. Donations of plants, organic vegetables, gardening supplies, and funds are welcome. For more information please visit www.caminar.org.


About YAIL: YAIL is part of Caminar, a non-profit organization which provides mental health services in San Mateo County and in other parts of California and Nevada. YAIL offers support to young adults, between the ages of 18-25, as they transition into adulthood and seek recovery from mental health and substance use issues. YAIL provides supportive services to a number of young adults who live either on the YAIL campus, off-site with family or in their own apartments.


About Caminar: Caminar, a non-profit agency serving the regions of San Mateo County, Solano County,and Butte County, California, has been providing community-based services for people with disabilities and mental illness for over 48 years. Our community-based programs are designed to maximize wellness and recovery opportunities by providing supportive caring environments in which individuals are empowered to create meaningful and productive lives for themselves. Services include housing, employment, education, and intensive case management. Caminar’s mission is to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities by providing opportunities tolive in the community with dignity and independence.


Contact Information: Chip Huggins 650-393-8927

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