New Vegetable Garden Provides Therapy, Skills and Joy to Metro Detroiters Living with Serious Mental Health Disorders

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Garden is located at Clubhouse for the Common Good, located in The Lois and Milton Y. Zussman Center in Southfield, and operated by Gesher Human Services.

 SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (July 29, 2025) – Members of the recently expanded Clubhouse for the Common Good (23800 W. 10 Mile Road, Southfield) a day center for people living with serious mental health disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe depression, are enjoying working on a new environmentally-friendly vegetable garden this year. Squash, basil, parsley, cucumber, melon, beets, carrots are all being grown, and a wildflower garden is in the process of being developed. Clubhouse members were taken on an outing to Detroit’s Eastern Market to purchase items for the garden which will also be ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible so that all members can participate. Clubhouse, which is operated by Gesher Human Services, moved into the newly located and purpose-built Loise and Milton Y. Zussman Center in Southfield last year. It offers employment opportunities, educational classes, culinary experiences, wellness and fitness opportunities, social and cultural activities plus arts enrichment programs, and now expanded horticultural opportunities. For images of the Zussman Center plus images of the garden, click here.

“Gardening is very therapeutic plus it creates working tasks and new skills. Our members love being outside and get great joy in seeing vegetables grow and then harvesting them to use for the lunch service,” explained Gesher’s VP of Vocational Rehabilitation Rene Dell. “We like to make sure that when our members are with us, they are at least having one nutritious meal a day and growing your own vegetables is a great way to do that.”

Clubhouse gardeners are guided by Molisia Young,

a unit coordinator at Clubhouse and an MSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteer, who is committed to smart gardening, creating a more natural garden without the use of chemicals, thus reducing the carbon footprint of the project. As part of the master gardener program, Young volunteers her time in the community spreading knowledge of gardening and she has plenty of jobs for club members: planning, sowing seeds, weeding, watering, harvesting and preserving and cleaning and storing vegetables for distribution. A fall garden is planned for after the summer harvest.

“Everything we put in the ground makes its way back to the great lakes, so we are proud to promote a gardening initiative which is particularly environmentally friendly because Clubhouse has a commitment to recycling and reusing items,” said Dell.

The hope is that in coming years Clubhouse gardeners will be able to collaborate with other farms. In the meantime, Yad Ezra, a kosher food bank, is a supporter of the garden, providing starter seeds, a wheel barrel and consultation for the garden. The garden beds and dirt were donated by Clubhouse supporter and Gesher Human Services Board Member Chad Techner who runs Metro Food Rescue and is a proponent of gardening initiatives.

At Clubhouse,

members are expected to take part in a work-ordered day, which might mean seeking employment, furthering their education, making and serving meals, working in the horticultural unit, creating the newsletter, or enhancing their wellness and relationships.  Everyone shares the space, with staff and members all being considered as colleagues without hierarchy. The facility does not have a clinical nature, instead focusing on individual growth and community inclusion.

Individuals diagnosed with a serious mental health condition who might be interested in attending the Clubhouse for the Common Good at the Zussman Center can call 248.233.4325. Individuals interested in Creative Expressions or the Clubhouse can find more information on Gesher Human Services’ website at  geshermi.org

About Gesher Human Services

Gesher Human Services is a non-profit organization providing a bridge to hope and opportunity for people at work, at home and in the community. It is dedicated to helping people across metro Detroit lead more stable and fulfilling lives through workforce development, career mobility, behavioral health, inclusion programming and residential services that serve all metro Detroiters while meeting the needs of the Jewish community. The organization works with job seekers, people with disabilities, older adults, and the community at large to provide skills, support, and equitable opportunities for people to succeed. Uniting two of metro Detroit’s most influential Jewish human services agencies, JVS Human Services and Kadima, Gesher brings over 110 years of combined experience facilitating equitable employment opportunities and better mental health outcomes for residents. With a network of more than 400 employees and volunteers across 25 locations in southeast Michigan, Gesher delivers a continuum of services and support that directly impacts the lives of over 26,000 individuals and families annually. More information at www.geshermi.org.