THOMASVILLE- The Lady Banks Garden Club honored late gardener and member Bonnie McMillan on Wednesday afternoon with the Bonnie McMillan Garden Therapy at Vashti initiative.

According to Lady Banks Garden Club President Marcy Sizemore, the McMillan family gifted the club with a donation following Bonnie’s passing. The club decided to put the donations to good use, partnering with Vashti to offer kids at the Clubhouse after-school program a new opportunity.

Wednesday was the launch of the initiative, and kids at the Clubhouse had the chance to pet and learn about the animals at Redemptive Love Farms.

The farm, located in Miccosukee, Fla. is a rescue that takes in animals that have been abused or neglected.

They have a variety of farm animals, including llamas, horses, goats, sheep, chickens, and rabbits.

“They have over 200 animals right now that they take care of,” explained Lady Banks Garden Club member Allyson Delius. “They have veterinarians for them and when possible, they foster them and help them get re-homed.”

The farm most recently took in 30 bunnies that were found at a bunny hoarder’s home in North Carolina. The hoarder was found to have more than 200 bunnies, but they have since all been rescued. However, two of the 30 bunnies were pregnant when they came to Redemptive Love Farms and have since given birth.

Children visiting the Clubhouse on Wednesday had the chance to meet one of the bunnies, which is part of Lady Banks’ ultimate goal.

“Our goal is to bring underserved populations more exposure to nature,” Sizemore shared. “We want them to see plants, animals, and all the things they haven’t experienced or might be unknown to them.”

Sizemore said the club didn’t want to immediately jump in and have the kids plant fruits and vegetables. They wanted to get the kids excited first, and felt like having them interact with the animals to begin the new initiative was the perfect way to dip their toes in.

Sizemore also said bringing Redemptive Love Farms to Vashti was intentional, as they have foster children who help on their farm, which aligns with the population Vashti serves.

“It’s this beautiful co-mingling of goals for the animals and the kids,” Sizemore said.

Director of the Clubhouse Monika Bowdry agreed with Sizemore that the initiative provided new opportunities for kids and gave them a unique perspective.

“I was super excited when I first heard about it,” she said. “We want the kids to experience things that they normally don’t get to.”

Bowdry said when she shared with the kids they would be meeting and interacting with the animals, most were excited but a few were nervous. However, the nerves quickly dissipated as they quickly started petting the various animals, including the llama.

Bowdry hopes the partnership with the Lady Banks Garden Club is only one of many to come into the community.

“I think this will be a great experience for the kids,” she concluded. “We get to go on field trips, but it’s good to have someone come to us.”