Seniors Planters Boxes | Mary Wright
Mary Wright grew up in the small town of Cusseta Alabama. Once dominated by the cotton industry, Cusseta is now a small, sleepy town whose opportunities are few and far between. As one of 10 kids, Mary was one of the only siblings to leave. Mary moved from her small town to Atlanta Georgia and was the first in her family to go to college, completing a two year associates degree in only 9 months at 50 years young! Mary always promised her family, that once she made something of herself, she would come back and support her home town. Today, Mary is a successful entrepreneur, owns her own contracting business, a non profit organization, and is building a senior apartment complex in Cusseta, Mt. Gilead, and is personally financing the entire project!
Mary received a Let’s Choose Love grant for her project Seniors Planter Boxes. Wright will use the grant to build raised planter boxes at the new Mt. Gilead apartments. These boxes are designed so the senior citizens living at Mt. Gilead can garden and have access to fresh vegetables and herbs without the strain of bending over and working in the ground. The boxes will be 3-4 feet high and come equipped with stools for people to sit on while they tend the garden.
Can you describe your project and what you hope to achieve from it?
Mary hopes the new senior housing project, Mt. Gilead, will provide a safe place for aging community members where they can live in community and have access to the help they need. The planter boxes are one of many accessible things Mary is including in the apartments. She believes the boxes “will help get them out of the house and into the fresh air.” Research suggests that working in a garden, caring for the land, and getting your hands dirty in the soil may help you live longer, according to articles like this one from the BBC.
While these garden boxes are only one small aspect of a much larger impact project, Let’s Choose Love is thrilled to be a part of building such a critical space that will build community and support elderly community members.
In addition to the Mt. Gilead project, Mary works with Habitat for Humanity, assists in many other philanthropic building projects, loves to travel and roller skate, and has two successful grown sons. Mary’s good work has just begun and Let’s Choose Love is grateful to be a part of her giveback journey. To learn more about Mary Wright, visit her instagram and facebook. To learn more about Mt. Gilead, check out the website here.
