On one of the hottest days of the year so far, Sodexo and some of our corporate partners: JLL, Securitas and CBRE, Avantor and Veolia came together to spend a day gardening for Jimmy’s.
We started a community partner garden project at a Jimmy’s property just over a year ago with the aim of making it a safe, practical space for residents to enjoy and grow their own produce. We understand the importance of a garden for people experiencing homelessness and its value in creating a healing environment, promoting community and mental wellbeing. It’s been great to see how the garden has been transformed over time from an overgrown, weed-ridden plot into a tranquil and uplifting space that is welcoming to both residents and wildlife.
This time round, the team was split into two with one group continuing efforts in the garden, including planting an apple tree, laying down wood chippings and building a new bench, whilst the other group weeded the gardens and painted the fences of the modular homes a short walk away.
Sodexo volunteer Alexandra Hoskins said of the day:
“What a fantastic day! I really valued this opportunity to get away from my desk and do something that has genuine benefit to those in our community who are experiencing homelessness. I enjoyed every minute of it – from getting to know colleagues better and chatting to residents, to seeing just how quickly you can transform a space when you put your mind (and back!) to it. I’ll definitely be signing up for another volunteer day very soon”
Since we began volunteering with our contract partners for Jimmy’s back in May 2023, we have completed five volunteering days – amounting to over 230 hours! This is a wonderful achievement and the results in the garden show just how much of a positive impact we can make together. Working with Jimmy’s has been incredibly rewarding and we look forward to continuing to make a meaningful difference for our community.
Interested in getting involved? Find out more here
