A New Leaf’s Garden Center: Changing the Narrative
By Olivia Kerber
Photo of a New Leaf Garden Center taken by Olivia Kerber
A New Leaf is an organization started in 1979 that allows for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities and to have independence. The organization helps these people by giving them job training, residential communities and life skills. A New Leaf is found in different locations all around Tulsa, but they also have a center located on Owasso’s 86th street.
The Owasso location has A New Leaf Garden Center, which was built in the last couple of years. During this time, many people have benefited from the Garden Center—including both those who aren't involved with A New Leaf and those who are. This is because those living at the residential community at A New Leaf have the ability to work in the garden, and consumers, like you and me, are able to buy plants from this garden.
Kamie Veit, an employee at the Owasso location of A New Leaf’s garden center, has only recently started working there, yet has experienced immense joy during her time working.
Veit recalls her initial thoughts on the Garden Center stating, “So I first came in as just a customer, and as I was in here I was like, ‘Man, this would be such a great place to work—everyone is just so happy and lively.’ The environment in the garden center was just very comfortable, meeting the clients was just fun [and so was] talking to them.”
Since working at the Garden Center, Veit has progressively learned more about the clients of A New Leaf.
“So the clients have job coaches that help them throughout the day. They will help with watering plants or cutting off dead leaves—cleaning, sweeping—they just kind of do everything I do also. So we all kinda do the same job.”
It is essential to recognize the significance of what Veit is highlighting about A New Leaf’s approach to helping their clients. Frequently, those with intellectual disabilities are treated as children. This persistent issue is called infantilization, and it genuinely hinders many people's ability to feel independent—even as adults. A distinctive factor of A New Leaf’s method of helping these people is that it aims to do exactly the opposite; the organization aims to strengthen dignity within their clients, and give them the capacity to feel like their own person.
“I think it definitely helps them feel more confident and feel more like their own person, as opposed to someone who has to rely on others.” Veit adds, “With being able to do different jobs and work with the job coach they'll learn life skills [and] job skills, … they will feel like they [are] actually adding to society as a person, [instead of] feeling like they are dragging society down or [feeling like] they are just in the way.”
Additionally, Veit described feeling as though the clients of A New Leaf are her co-workers. There is no hierarchy in the workplace, because both her and the clients are completing similar tasks.
“I feel like [the clients] all really like working here. At least from what I’ve seen so far, they are excited when they come in and they will be like ‘Are you working tomorrow?,’ and I’ll be like ‘Yeah! See you tomorrow!,” so it definitely has that co-worker rapport,” Veit asserts.
A New Leaf is an organization that earnestly assists those participating in their spaces—whether you are a consumer, worker or client. The 86th street location has beautiful flower bouquets that you can pick up, or they even have smaller planets such as succulents you can purchase. However, support goes beyond simply buying their products: you can also donate your time to volunteering at a New Leaf’s Garden Center. Either way, everyone should surely give the center a visit and encourage their incredible organization.