Our NY1 Queens Person of the Week used a traumatic event in her life as inspiration to begin helping others. NY1's Leisha Majtan filed the following report.
Like many New Yorkers, Maureen Regan's wounds from September 11th haven't fully healed.
"I still get broken up over this," said Maureen Regan, NY1's Queens Person of the Week.
Regan lived in the West Village at the time of the terrorist attacks.
She says the events of that day made her re-evaluate her whole life.
"I found for myself that my life was unraveling and I couldn't understand what was going on. I was like on a hamster wheel; working, coming home, working, coming home. And I realized that I needed to take a break," added Regan.
She stepped away from her corporate job and went back to school to study horticultural therapy.
And in 2011, Regan, who now lives in Whitestone, founded "Green Earth Urban Gardens" — a non-profit dedicated to providing therapy through gardening and maintaining the borough's parks
"I found that on 9/11, it was important — people gathered in these spaces, and I think it helped with healing. Our city is so busy and so it's important that we have these spaces to go to," said Regan.
Over the last 5 years, Regan has organized clean ups all across the borough — from Flushing to Jamaica Bay.
And once a week, she volunteers her time helping young people with special needs.
She gets her hands dirty and teaches them about gardening.
"Because of all their disabilities, they find that they can come to the garden and feel safe."
Regan says her journey since 9/11 has really opened her eyes to the power of healing through nature.
"I found that I couldn't just go back to the old way of living. I had to find balance," said Regan. "We forget often to breathe and that's what gardening, I think helps many people just breathe and think "I can go on with my day."
And so, for using her green thumb for good, Maureen Regan is our Queens Person of the Week.