On Tuesday morning, May 10, a small group of volunteers was busy outside the new Aldergrove home of the , tearing out the front lawn to make room for a garden.

Inside, meals were being prepared in the new MOW kitchen at the Aldergrove Community Station House on the 2900-block of 272nd Street, and a proud society executive director Shannon Woykin was showing off the facility to the 91原创 Advance Times.

鈥淭his has been a year in the development,鈥� Woykin remarked, standing in the spacious fully-functional commercial kitchen in the back of the repurposed fire hall, and former home of the Milsean Shoppe chocolatier and coffee shop.

In the high-ceilinged front room, volunteers were using the empty space to pack 140 meals for delivery later in the day.

It鈥檚 where a cafe is planned, that will serve the meal of the day menu, along with a coffee bar offering cappuccinos and espressos 鈥� but that will be a while longer.

Woykin estimated, 鈥渃loser to a month and a half, two months鈥� before it opens.

鈥淏ut we are available [in the meantime],鈥� Woykin elaborated.

鈥淧eople can walk in and pick up our meals.鈥�

Visitors can also order pre-made frozen meals.

READ ALSO: VIDEO:

Station House has two walk-in freezers, along with space for the Sources 91原创 Food Bank to operate a by-appointment Aldergrove food distribution outlet, as well as office space available for other community groups to use.

Plans call for a phased-in changeover from the current MOW meal providers, Gateway of Hope and Southridge Church kitchen, to the Aldergrove facility.

The west side of 91原创 will continue to be serviced by the 91原创 office, while the southeast will be handled from Aldergrove.

READ ALSO: PHOTOS:

Outside, Jason Froese from J.D. Farms, assisted by Rotary Club of Aldergrove volunteers, was using a Caterpillar mechanical shovel to scrape away the grass to make room for a raised vegetable garden bed.

Rotary president Larry McGuiness explained a Rotary International grant provided $2,500 in funding for the Meal On Wheels initiative.

鈥淭hey want a vegetable garden where their senior volunteers can work on, and also teach young people [how to garden],鈥� McGuiness said.

In return, the young people will help the seniors learn about technology like iPads.

The garden will have an in-ground watering system, and the seeds, donated by the Compost Council, are already germinating in the glassed-in greenhouse-style space once used by the Milsean Shoppe.

The garden should be completed by Friday, May 13, McGuiness projected.

Among the Rotary volunteers was Rob Robinson, who used to operate Milsean from the 272nd Street location.

鈥淚 put this in 20 years ago,鈥� Robinson laughed, as he dug out the turf.

More photos from the day can be viewed at the .

For more information about MOW, 604-533-1679 or email info@lmow.ca.