18
| January/February 2016
MY DAVEY
Garden volunteers, pictured from left to right: Robert Jones, foreman; Elaine Stillwell, founder and
president of The Compassionate Friends Rockville Centre chapter; Jose Santos Cruz, trimmer;
Matt Cappella, a former Davey employee; and Noel DeLapaz, foreman.
Every garden has its purpose. For some, it's a place to harvest fresh food for
their families, while for others, it's a place of beauty, peace and tranquility. For
one Davey employee, one particular garden represents much more.
Three years ago, Robert Jones, foreman at the Long Island R/C office, and his
wife had to face one of the greatest pains of all: losing a child. It wasn't until they
discovered The Compassionate Friends, a nonprofit grief support group for parents
who have lost children, that they finally found hope.
"Hearing the members talk about their pain and anger for what happened to their
child gave me validation for the anger I was feeling," Jones says. He and his wife
meet with members each month to celebrate, share and mourn their children.
Molloy College kindly donated an area of its campus to the group for its meetings;
it's known as The Compassionate Friends Garden. "The garden is a healing place,"
Jones says, adding that's where he and his wife feel close to their son.
For the last two years, Jones assumed routine fall and spring garden cleanup
responsibilities by himself. Unfortunately, Jones experienced an injury this year,
which made it impossible to complete the fall garden cleanup on his own. To
Jones' surprise, Davey's Long Island R/C crew agreed to help him out.
"In this industry, we are all rough and rugged guys," Jones says. "But when I was
talking to them about the garden and my son, I was literally crying. The guys then
came over to me and put their arms around me. We are like family."
Davey's Long Island R/C crewmembers, including trimmer Jose Santos and
foreman Noel DeLapaz, volunteered to join Jones in late October to trim, weed
and mulch the entire garden. Kevin Sheehan, district manager at the Long Island
R/C office, donated the recycled mulch and was happy to help.
With Davey's help, the garden looks better than ever, giving The Compassionate
Friends a fresh and vibrant area for members to meet each month.
GREEN HEALING
Davey volunteers and group members mulched
the entire Compassionate Friends Garden
using recycled mulch.
The first set of plaques, which were installed
by Molloy College volunteers, settles into
The Compassionate Friends Garden for its
members and their children.
