SPOKANE, Wash. — Daybreak is a place to get healthy.
The facility treats adolescents for mental health and substance abuse issues, but fences and gates can make it look bleak and prison-like.
To help brighten it up, provide therapeutic hobbies, and create better nutritional choices, Daybreak employees and the kids started what they called the "Ripple of Hope Garden."
Unfortunately, vandals destroyed it within a day.
“It made me kind of sad," said Daybreak employee Fawn Gray. “You’ve got to see something growing in order to grow yourself"
Already feeling isolated due to the novel coronavirus pandemic limiting any outside connections and extra activities, the garden was a way to keep kids connected to each other and the earth.
When it got destroyed, it further dampened spirits. But out of disappointment, a resolve has grown.
“It was a set-back, but I will not give up,” Gray said.
The garden got a much-needed boost from local businesses. Barr-Tech Composting donated 40-cubic yards of soil, and Parr, a northwest lumber and building supply store, provided wheelbarrows, shovels and gloves.
The vandals may have destroyed some of the infrastructure, but not the group's spirit.
The garden has a future, but Daybreak says it still needs some more items. Specifically, they are looking for cinder blocks and fencing.
If you would like to make a donation you can contact Daybreak on their website or call 888-454-5506.