Posted on August 5, 2024
Rebecca Lee was well-known around Penn-Mar and the local community as the passionate Art Instructor who nurtured the often-hidden creative talents of her students with developmental disabilities.
When she was promoted to Senior Direct Support Professional (DSP) in 2023, with the additional responsibility of seeking out volunteer opportunities for the people she supports, she was torn about taking time away from her art classes.
But it wasn’t long before she characterized her new assignment as “absolutely the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.”
Rebecca has spent the summer taking several volunteer groups of Penn-Mar individuals to Maryland farms in Towson and nearby Freeland. There they help harvest hundreds of pounds of vegetables and fruits in collaborative, purpose-driven environments that energize body and soul.
Mark, DSP Becca, Carl, Morgan, Sherry, and TALMAR Volunteer Coordinator Lena after an afternoon’s work.
Every Friday the enthusiastic group heads out to TALMAR in Towson. The non-profit farm provides a therapeutic and recreational environment designed particularly for individuals with disabilities. They learn about horticulture and agriculture and how to harvest tomatoes, peppers, thyme, eggplant, mushrooms and onions.
At the end of this season, when the harvest is planted and fully-bloomed in the farm’s vast circular Pizza Garden, they will learn how to make pizza dough and top it with the fruits of their labors before baking it in a wood fired oven.
On random days Rebecca drives her group to First Fruits Farm across Middletown Road, a 280-acre Christian non-profit ministry that relies on volunteer service and community partnerships to donate 100 percent of their harvest to children and adults who are struggling with hunger and access to healthy food.
DSP Becca, Carl, and Jimmy pulling onions at First Fruits Farm.
Rebecca describes the setting as something out of a Hallmark movie. “The place is so beautiful it doesn’t seem real.”
Most recently the group was tasked with harvesting cabbages that had to be picked up and placed in large cardboard boxes on a flatbed truck.
“The cabbages are wet, dirty, and bruise easily,” recalled Rebecca, “so we had to walk them gently over to the truck and place them in the boxes. The physical work can involve squatting, pulling, walking and carrying heavy objects. It’s a real workout!”
On another day there the Penn-Mar group harvested over 5000 pounds of corn with 45 other volunteers. When they finished stacking up their selections they were treated to a stunning visual of their day’s work. It gives them a sense of pride that Rebecca describes as “emotional.”
“It’s different than being inside the art studio,” mused Rececca, “because I get to see my group interacting with the community around them. People come up to me and say, ‘They are so lucky to have you.’ But it’s really the other way around!”
Ben Mortenson, the Volunteer Engagement Manager at the farm, is delighted to have the Penn-Mar groups on his team. He describes his daughter Morgan, who is supported by Penn-Mar and often joins the volunteer group, as a “rock star who loves caring for people and is very supportive of her peers at Penn-Mar.”
Morgan and Mark on the trailer to take them out to the fields.
“The Penn-Mar volunteers are a hard-working group,” he said. “Farm work involves a lot of moving parts, and they are eager to learn and do the work we are asking of them. We get them involved with the general population which blends in with our inclusion piece and are always mindful of keeping them safe while they fulfill their tasks.”
Rebecca stresses that her volunteer groups can’t wait to return to the farm even after a hard day’s work. “It’s not like going on an outing to a library or restaurant. They are so proud of their accomplishments. It gives them bragging rights when they return home and share their day with their peers who ask if they can join guys on our next visit. It is rewarding to see each group so happy and fulfilled. The experience has really increased their self-worth.”