Tanner’s Get Healthy, Live Well has joined forces with Honda Precision Parts of Georgia in Tallapoosa and other community partners to make a big impact in Haralson County.

On June 15, volunteers from Get Healthy, Live Well’s Healthy Haralson initiative, Honda Precision Parts, Keep Haralson Beautiful (KHB), R.K. Redding Construction, The Blake House and the county’s 4-H Club planted community gardens and flowerbeds at three senior centers during Honda’s “Week of Service.”

Nattsu Ullom, human resources administrator at Honda, noted that this was the company’s third annual “Week of Service” event, which is celebrated nationwide. Ninety Honda associates in Tallapoosa participated in various projects across Haralson County this year.

“Honda has a long history of giving back to the communities where we live and work,” Ullom said. “It’s always great to partner with other organizations and companies, and the community garden project turned out to be greater, more beautiful and more wonderful than I could have ever imagined.”

KHB Executive Director Ann Crim pointed out that the project coincides with the organization’s efforts to promote a clean and healthy community.

“Keep Haralson Beautiful is honored to partner on this ‘Week of Service’ event,” said Crim. “It is our goal to encourage community involvement in the planting and preservation of green space.”

During the “Week of Service” event, volunteers built raised plant beds and planted gardens at the Tallapoosa Senior Center. Another group of volunteers painted the outside of the plant beds and planted vegetables in the garden at the Bremen Senior Center. A third group built a flower bed, picnic table and swing set at the Haralson County Senior Center.

Now that the community gardens are in place, the seniors and workers at the senior centers along with men at the Blake House will help maintain them. They will also be able to harvest the vegetables that grow there.

“One of Healthy Haralson’s goals is to improve the quality of life of senior citizens in the community,” said Alicia Michael, rural health outreach coordinator at Get Healthy, Live Well.

“Planting community gardens not only helps improve quality of life, but also enhances nutrition and physical activity.”

Healthy Haralson and its partners are working to develop a pilot program that will give the community an opportunity to participate in coordinated community service projects during one week of the year.

“Having the opportunity to work with community partners like Honda, Keep Haralson Beautiful, R.K. Redding, the Blake House and 4-H Club is the driving force behind Get Healthy, Live Well’s success in helping improve the health of residents in west Georgia,” Michael said.

The community garden project is one of several initiatives that is part of Get Healthy, Live Well’s efforts to improve the health of residents in Haralson County. With help from the Healthcare Georgia Foundation’s Two Georgias grant, Get Healthy, Live Well is working to address the persistent inequities in health outcomes that disproportionately impact rural Georgians.

For more information, contact Get Healthy, Live Well at gethealthy@tanner.org. More information on Get Healthy, Live Well — including upcoming health opportunities and ongoing programs — is available at GetHealthyLiveWell.org.

Photo Caption: Nattsu Ullom, human resources administrator at Honda Precision Parts in Tallapoosa, prepares to cut the ribbon during a ceremony for the grand opening of Perry Community Garden at the Tallapoosa Senior Center. Healthy Haralson, an initiative of Tanner Health System’s Get Healthy, Live Well, joined forces with Honda Precision Parts of Georgia, Keep Haralson Beautiful (KHB), R.K. Redding Construction, The Blake House and the county’s 4-H Club to plant community gardens and flowerbeds at three senior centers during Honda’s “Week of Service.”