At RISE Housing and Support Services, healing happens in many forms — through safe shelter, supportive relationships, and increasingly, through the simple yet powerful act of digging into the dirt.
Across several of our programs, Dirt Therapy is becoming an essential part of our approach to mental health and wellness. Gardening offers more than fresh vegetables or pretty flowers — it provides a grounded, therapeutic space where residents can reconnect with themselves, reduce stress, and find calm in their daily lives.
Growing Resilience in Every Garden
- SunRISE Retreat: Residents care for raised garden beds filled with herbs, vegetables, and flowers — often using the produce in their own meals. Tending to plants offers a sense of purpose and routine, which can be deeply supportive in mental health recovery.
- Dominic Hollow Apartments: The communal garden brings people together, promoting connection and belonging. Gardening side by side gives residents opportunities to socialize naturally, build trust, and support each other’s emotional well-being.
- Adelphi Street Shelter: For individuals facing housing instability, time in nature can offer quiet reflection and grounding. Gardening gives residents a chance to slow down, breathe, and experience the healing power of simply being outdoors.
- RISE Above Residential Rehabilitation: Our recovery community residence integrates gardening into its holistic model of care. Residents not only grow food but also grow confidence, patience, and inner peace through hands-on horticulture.
- Hedgerow House Reintegration Program: Seasonal planting and tending garden tasks support mindfulness and emotional regulation — especially meaningful for residents managing co-occurring mental health diagnoses.
Gardening as a Mental Health Tool
Dirt Therapy isn’t just a feel-good activity — it’s a proven mental health practice. Studies show that gardening can:
- Reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety
- Lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels
- Improve sleep and mood
- Boost self-esteem and a sense of control
For our residents, many of whom are navigating trauma, isolation, or major life transitions, these moments of calm and connection are critical. Being outside, getting hands in the soil, and watching something grow gives a sense of progress — even on the hardest days.
At RISE, these green spaces reflect our broader mission: to support the whole person — mind, body, and spirit.
Plant. Grow. Heal. RISE.
As we expand Dirt Therapy across our programs, we’re investing in more than gardens — we’re investing in mental health, community connection, and hope.
Whether it’s through a shared harvest dinner or the quiet joy of watching a sunflower bloom, our residents are reminded: growth is always possible.