Millie Radonjic sits in the garden in front of Amy's Greenhouse.

Photo Credit: Chris Palermo

Millie Radonjic tends to Amy's Greenhouse.

Photo Credit: Chris Palermo

When Millie Radonjic joined the Barnard Early Childhood Center, her job description was as a teaching assistant. But now, she feels it's just as much caretaker of a 9/11 memorial that's become an important educational resource for the children of New Rochelle.
The memorial is in honor of Amy O’Doherty, the daughter of Geraldine Davie, a pre-Kindergarten teacher at Barnard Elementary School. Following the tragedy, friends and relatives sent flowers and gifts to the Davie family. She quickly began to see that she wanted something more permanent and constructive for Amy's memory and began to ask people to send donations towards a project instead.

As money began to come in, the idea of Amy's Greenhouse took shape.

Donations from corporations including Cantor Fitzgerald, the New Rochelle School District, the Barnard PTA and private individuals, were used to fund the project, which was envisioned as an instructional resource for students at the Center.

When Radonjic began working at the school in 2004 as a teaching assistant, the physical structure had been built but the greenhouse wasn't outfitted.

"I decided to take over," she said.

Radonjic’s husband came in and built shelves and she started seeking donations of pots, soil and plants.

The result is what she calls "an absolutely beautiful facility" that is used by 650 children. Radonjic works there on her lunch hours and weekends.

"I live only five minutes away so it’s easy,” she said. "The teachers use gardening as a teaching tool, for science, math, and so forth."

Besides its original function of providing students with a hands-on experience in horticulture, the greenhouse serves as a center for many functions and activities.

"We've had graduation parties there," she said.

In October, the facility hosts a pumpkin festival and for Mother's Day each of the students plants a flower as a gift for their mothers.

What started as a substitute for gifts following a terrible tragedy has grown, like the plants it houses, to become a gift to the school and the community at large.