Susan and Robert Shor’s connection to Miami Jewish Health began decades ago when Robert’s mother, Deena Shor, of blessed memory, lived in our assisted living facility. Since then, they have been loyal partners to Miami Jewish Health dedicated to improving the quality of life of seniors in our community.
During the pandemic, they, along with their company ACE Hardware, were instrumental in assisting our facilities team. They helped prepare our hospital to be a COVID-positive unit and transform additional areas into negative pressure spaces that were acute care-equivalent. This all helped Miami Jewish Health immensely so we could better care for our patients, residents and participants.
As we emerged from the pandemic and explored new and innovative ways to keep our community active and engaged, the Shors were there once again to lend their support.
With seed funding from The NextFifty Initiative, a Colorado-based private foundation dedicated to funding mission-driven initiatives that improve the lives of the older adult population and their caregivers, Miami Jewish Health launched its first ever horticulture therapy garden.
Horticultural therapy is a nature-based intervention that takes place in a garden setting. Participants engage in gardening activities and learn new skills, guided by a therapist who helps them make connections between gardening and their own experiences. This program is ideal for our PACE participants, many of whom have both multiple complex medical conditions as well as functional or cognitive impairment.
Upon learning of this new initiative, aptly named GROW, the Shors committed to make a transformative gift to ensure the garden’s success. Different from typical gardens, the to-be-named Shor Family Horticulture Garden is designed to ensure easy accessibility for people of all ages and mobility levels. The space will include raised flower beds that are suitable for wheelchair users, as well as wider pathways to ensure smooth navigation. Additionally, plenty of on-site seating and communal tables are intended to transform the garden into an outdoor classroom as well as a place for connecting. Every element is purposefully designed to facilitate interaction with the healing elements of nature.
We are truly grateful to the Shors for their support over the past thirty years. Their generosity enables us to continue to enhance the quality of life of those in our care, like their mother, of blessed memory.
“Caring for your loved ones as if they were your own is at the heart of what Miami Jewish Health does” – Robert Shor
If you’d like to learn more about how you can support this life enriching program, visit the Miami Jewish Health Foundation website.
