The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Photograph by Skye Dunlap

A former resident of Life's Garden donated 'a big chunk of money' to transform an unused shuffleboard area into a courtyard and community garden area.

Life's Garden courtyard blooms, thanks to gift

By Pam Marino

The name of the community is Life's Garden, and thanks to bequests and donations from both residents and the community, a true garden has sprung to life.

The six-acre, 209-unit low-income housing complex for senior citizens in Sunnyvale now has a beautiful, blooming courtyard for all the residents to enjoy.

A man who used to live in an apartment overlooking the yard left "a big chunk of money" expressly for landscaping, according to administrator Jeanne Brennan.

"It used to be a shuffleboard area that nobody used," Brennan said. The sun beating down on the concrete made the area a little severe.

But now the yard is filled with flowers and small trees, with a small fountain and pond in the center. Rose-covered trellises shade some garden benches, two donated in memory of a resident who died earlier this year.

When there's sun, residents are out walking on the sidewalk that circles the yard; three trips around equal one mile, Brennan said.

Also in the yard are some older cherry trees, remnants of the cherry orchard that used to cover what is now the retirement community on Old San Francisco Road.

A garden committee donates its time to care for squares of flowers interspersed throughout the lawn.

In addition to the garden area, donated money is also being used to purchase new chairs and flooring for the multipurpose room. A wide variety of classes are taught in the room, including some connected with De Anza College.

Life's Garden is a 22-year-old rental community built and sponsored by Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church. It is a nonprofit operation financed in part by Housing and Urban Development funds. Residents must be at least 62 years old and have an income of $18,000 a year or less.

Brennan said her oldest resident right now is 98, the youngest is 62 and the average age is 81.

The waiting list for downstairs units is approximately five years.

Residents live on their own, with very little staff help, Brennan said. Too much staff involvement can make people feel institutionalized, which is not what Life's Garden is all about, she said.

"The idea of this place is that we're not taking care of people at all," she said.

"Our rents are real low so people are happy to be here," Brennan said, pointing out the scarcity of affordable housing in the valley.

The result is that the residents pitch in and volunteer time and money to create an environment that is pleasant for everyone, Brennan said.

Marsh Norris, a member of Sunnyvale Presbyterian who serves on Life's Garden's board of directors, said the residents use their knowledge and experience to improve and enhance life in the community.

"I like it because [the program] respects the dignity and abilities of the people who live here," Norris said.

[ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ]

This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, June 3, 1998.
©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.