March 28, 2012

List of Available Plants

Fredericksburg, Virginia – Rappahannock Adult Activities (RAAI) annual plant sale begins Saturday, April 21, 2012 at their 750 Kings Highway, Fredericksburg location (approximately 3 miles East of the Chatham Bridge).

The hours of operation have been expanded in 2012: Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; and Sunday noon to 4:00 p.m. During the 26th Annual Mayfest Celebration on Saturday, May 5, 2012, plants will be on sale from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Through the horticulture therapy program, RAAI participants grow more than 100 plant varieties. According to Melessa Suder, Horticulture Specialist, “RAAI participants have been very active in our greenhouses. They are involved in the entire process from putting labels on the pots to planting to actually placing plants in customers’ vehicles. We have a great team of participants, staff members, board members, and volunteers who have put a great deal of time and energy into the production of these crops. Overall, it’s an enjoyable and rewarding for everyone involved.”

For more than 35 years, Rappahannock Adult Activities, Inc. has provided a community-based developmental day program that promotes dignity, independence, individualization, inclusion, and productivity of people with intellectual disabilities in their home communities. RAAI helps keep these individuals out of institutional settings and allows caregivers respite from care responsibilities. Proceeds from the plant sales provide scholarships to allow participants without funding the opportunity to attend RAAI. 

Day support services for individuals without the state funded Intellectual Disability Waiver or another funding source can cost up to $120 a day or more than $20,000 annually. More than 10 local individuals receive financial assistance to attend day support programming each year.

RAAI currently serves more than 150 participants at their six locations in the City of Fredericksburg and Counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford. In addition to the horticulture program, participants volunteer in the community, enjoy a technology lab, and are active in many wellness activities. The Rappahannock Area Community Services Board (RACSB) serves as the fiscal agent. RAAI is a proud partner agency of the Rappahannock United Way.

For additional information, call RAAI at 540-373-7643. Or, visit www.celebratemayfest.com and select “Plant Sales” to view a list of plants available for sale.

Founded in 1970, the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board (RACSB) provides public mental health, intellectual disability, substance abuse, and prevention/early intervention services to the residents of the City of Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford. RACSB operates six outpatient clinics which provide individual, group and family therapy; specialized counseling and case management services; psychological assessment; 24-hour crisis intervention; and medication management services. RACSB operates ten group homes for adults with intellectual disability providing 24-hour intensive and structured support. RACSB also offers mental health day support, residential services, and crisis stabilization The Sunshine Lady House for Mental Health Wellness & Recovery. The Parent-Education – Infant Development Program provides developmental, physical, occupational, and speech therapies as well as service coordination to infants and toddlers with developmental delays. Programs of RACSB include Kenmore Club, Rappahannock Adult Activities, Inc., Project LINK, Program for Teen Parents, Rappahannock Area Kids on the Block, DARE To Be You – Rappahannock Area, Second Step, Too Good for Drugs, and Healthy Families – Rappahannock Area. To learn more, visit www.racsb.state.va.us.

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