Community Living Center Garden Project

This area takes up part of the Center for Aging Building in Honolulu and is allowed use of a portion of the grounds. CLC Resident Counsel President Jesse Sotelo has spearheaded a project to turn some of the land into a community garden. 

“It’s nice because we have some lilikoi and crown flower, and the guys like to come out and watch the butterflies,” Sotelo said. “Right now, we have cocoons all over the place too, and you can watch the caterpillars eating the leaves of the plants.” 

The plant known as lilikoi in Hawaii is referred to as a “passion vine” in the mainland. It is the host plant for the Gulf Fritillary butterfly. Crown flower is originally from Southeast Asia but has been in Hawaii since the 19th century. Milkweed is the normal host plant for the Monarch butterfly, but Monarch butterflies in Hawaii have adapted to use crown flower as their host plant, meaning they lay eggs on them, and the caterpillars can eat them. The CLC garden has both of these plants so that they can attract the maximum number of butterflies. 

“We grow food plants as well,” Sotelo said. “We planted eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes. The extra food can get taken home by the guys’ families, and they love that. They’re always very excited when they can get something from the garden.” 

In addition to the benefit of adding beauty and producing food, the CLC garden serves as an excuse for residents to go outside. Some residents tend to the plants, but most simply go out to enjoy the sights and smells. Keeping up a garden requires work, as well as donations of soil, fertilizer, and plants. Employees can contact Social Worker and CLC Gardening Club Member Maria Clariza at maria.clariza@va.gov to set up a time to volunteer or drop off donations. 

“We’re always looking for any help we can get with the garden,” Sotelo said. “If employees want to come down on their day off and plant some of our seedlings that we sprouted, that would be wonderful. If they want to donate plants or other garden stuff, that’s great too. If any folks from the community can come help, that would be wonderful. We’ll take all the help we can get.” 

For those who are not employed by VAPIHCS, there are two different ways to volunteer. One way is to go through the VAPIHCS Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE) and become an official VA Volunteer. To become a VA volunteer, contact CDCE Chief Schoen Safotu at schoen.safotu@va.gov. The other way to volunteer is to go through the Hawaii Red Cross. The Hawaii Red Cross comes to work in the CLC garden once per month, and those who would like to join a Red Cross volunteer day can contact Julie Greenly at julie.greenly@redcross.org. 

“The guys just love the garden, and it means a lot to them,” Sotelo said. “It’s great to see the joy they get coming out here and watching the wildlife and enjoying the plants. The more volunteers we can get, the better the garden can be for them.”