Non-Profit

With Valentine's Day just a few days away, heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, bouquets of fresh cut flowers, balloons, candy bouquets and stuffed animals crowd shelves at neighborhood grocery stores. This Valentine's Day, consider a sustainable, meaningful alternative that lasts long after Valentine's Day has come and gone: potted succulents at Reach Greenhouse located at Reach Unlimited in Cypress.

What makes these succulents so special are the people who grow them. Members of Reach Unlimited, a local nonprofit centered on providing services for the intellectually and developmentally disabled, help grow the succulents in their on-site greenhouse. During the propagation process, members are in charge of potting small germinated succulents. A small group of dedicated, talented volunteers with years of gardening experience use the succulents to create beautiful arrangements using a combination of plants. The plant arrangements created in the Reach Greenhouse are then offered for sale to the public.

For members, planting and propagating gives them the opportunity to engage in the ongoing task of mental stimulation that promotes sense of accomplishment, provides a creative outlet, and improves eye-hand coordination generalizable to daily living skills. Working in the Greenhouse also gives members an opportunity to work collaboratively with peers toward a common goal of successful plant propagation. The Greenhouse is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and Saturday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Plant prices range from $5 to $25 and all sales benefit Reach Unlimited.

About Reach Unlimited