The women brainstorm recipes in the crisp fall air. "What can I make with lavender and sage? Maybe something with wild rice-some kind of stuffing?" one ponders while another plucks some mint and places it into a bowl. 
Welcome to the New Choices program, which has recently started working in AFG's garden each week. New Choices is a group for women exiting the sex industry, and is one of the few comprehensive programs in the country for women who want to exit the sex industry. It includes group sessions, counseling, and case planning, all with the goal of helping its members successfully exit the sex industry and lead fulfilling and successful lives.
Therapeutic benefit
When Felecia Berry, LMSW, noticed AFG's extensive garden, she knew that the garden could have a great therapeutic benefit for New Choices members. Felecia, a consultant from St. John's Open Arms, facilitates a grief and trauma support group with the women of New Choices. Working with AFG staff and AFG's gardening volunteers, she arranged for regular group sessions working in the garden.
"It's really of benefit because it's bringing different types of women together. In New Choices, we talk about being a circle of women. Out in the garden, it's participants, staff, and volunteers working together. It's a good equalizer," says Alana Gracey, AFG's Safe Choices Project Manager.
Sustainabilty
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| Baby Doll displays the day's harvest |
The women of New Choices work together to harvest food, pull weeds, and water the garden. Soon, they will even construct "quick hoops" to help protect the spinach from harsh winter weather. "They are very committed to practicing sustainable organic practices to grow healthy, pesticide-free herbs and vegetables," says Janet McAuliffe, the AFG gardening volunteer who is leading their efforts.
"It calms me down...I'm in another world when I'm in the garden," grins Baby Doll, one of the New Choices members. Baby Doll has been gardening most of her life, so working in AFG's garden brings her back to fond childhood memories of being able to connect with the earth.
Feeling connected to the earth
Beyond the calming effects of being in nature, the women also appreciate the exercise and nutritional benefits of being able to work in the garden. After they are done picking the herbs and vegetables, they work together to make delicious meals from their harvest. "I feel so connected to the vegetables when I eat them because I helped grow them," explains Sara, one of the members.
"It can make you feel beautiful, being connected to this beauty that you helped create," smiles another New Choices member. For the New Choices members, working in the garden is symbolic of their own transformations: After their hard work, they get to see themselves blossom.
Want to make New Choices' parsley herb salad? Check out the recipe they used from the New York Times.
Want to learn how you can a volunteer? Visit our website.
