Bernie Swann, James Mathis and Marion Young, from left, cut peppers and onions in preparation for canning at the Life Care Center of East Ridge. The group participates in a weekly class where they can preserves and other food.TO BUYThe canned goods made by residents at Life Care Center of East Ridge sell for $2 for a half-pint to $6 for a quart. They can be purchased Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The center is located at 1500 Fincher Ave. in East Ridge. For more information, call 894-1254.
Canned goods sit on a shelf at the Life Care Center of East Ridge.Marion Young has been canning vegetables since he was a kid growing up on a Georgia farm.
“Mom made sure I knew how to grow vegetables, can them and cook them,” says Young, 82, a resident of Life Care Center of East Ridge.
Today, nearly seven decades later, Young is still working with vegetables. He’s one of a small group of residents at the center who cans vegetables, jellies and jams year-round, then sells them so they can do it all over again.
“We call it the ‘Canning for a Cause’ program,” says Christian McDonald, the center’s activities director, who started the canning effort, about 2 1/2 years ago. “We’re doing it to benefit others. It’s not about what we can do for ourselves because the money primarily goes to other organizations.