Volunteers from local credit unions and the Democratic National Committee recently finished building a “health and wellness” garden at CHOP’s Karabots Pediatric Care Center at 48th and Market, a project built for the Democratic National Convention later this month and designed to operate long after the convention leaves.

The vegetable and flower garden will provide fresh vegetables for the Karabots Center and host wellness and nutrition workshops and other events for patients. The garden is at the western edge of the Karabots property, along 49th Street, and is only regularly accessible through the parking lot to the rear of the building.

Credit Union volunteers have a tradition to “leave behind” projects in cities hosting the national party conventions. A similar project is underway at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, the site of the Republican convention.

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has recently opened a new, state-of-the-art pediatric care center (Karabots Primary Care Center) at the corner of 48th and Market. The center held its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday. The 52,000-square-foot center will offer pediatric care and community programs to West Philly children and families (the centers at 39th and Chestnut Sts. and 3550 Market St. are moving to the Karabots Center).

The Karabots Center was established with a $7.5 million gift from Nicholas and Athena Karabots and the Karabots Foundation of Fort Washington, Pa. The two-story building contains 56 child-friendly examination rooms, rooms for radiology, hearing and vision testing, and a lab. The facility also houses community programs offered by Children’s Hospital, such as Early Head Start, Community Asthma Prevention Program, domestic violence education, and the Homeless Health Initiative. The Center plans to accommodate over 64,000 outpatient visits annually.