Citadel cadets help seniors refurbish their neighborhood: ‘This means so much’

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Twenty-five Citadel cadets spent their Saturday morning helping a group of seniors in need of some extra hands clean up the neighborhood’s landscaping.

The Elms is a neighborhood of around 300 55-year-olds and older with many of the residents unable to physically garden. Different areas throughout the neighborhood needed landscaping, but there was no money to fund the project.

This is when the Elms “plant liaison,” Mary Doran, stepped in.

“We have lots of places that need flowers. We’ve had several years where we didn’t have the money to do it,” Doran said.

For the last nine months, Doran planned and communicated with the Goose Creek Lowe’s and the Citadel to ask for some extra help. Lowe’s gave the seniors flowers at a discounted price and the Citadel spared 25 cadets to help out.

Cadets worked throughout Saturday morning to clean, plant and rehabilitate garden beds throughout the Elms.

“It’s just been a very happy experience. I can’t tell you how much joy I’ve been filled with because this means so much to the residents here,” Doran said. “We have a very active group of 80-year-olds and 90- year-olds, and they would love to see flowers; they just don’t have the physical ability to plant them anymore.”

Around 30 residents at the Elms are veterans, giving an opportunity for the cadets to interact with some retired servicemen.

“Everybody that I’ve talked to in the community is just so happy. They’re ecstatic because the flowers bring us a lot of a lot of happiness,” Doran said. “A lot of the residents here sit quietly for hours on the benches or they walk. Everyone walks our community, and they love to look at the flowers. It just really makes them proud of their homes.”

Doran hopes Saturday’s project is not the last time the cadets can help out seniors at the Elms with the neighborhood always being in need of extra hands.

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