Handcrafted Hope

Handcrafted Hope

We know how capable our students are at NHA, and we are giving them another opportunity to display their creative sides through a new program called Handcrafted Hope.

We look through any disability and allow their ability to take hold to create festive Christmas ornaments made from the burlap coffee bean sacks from Special Grounds.

These will be on sale closer to the holiday season at Special Grounds.

Also each student in our high school and middle school are learning to sew their own bag to sell. They are also made from the coffee bean sacks from Special Grounds, and will be fully lined with a magnetic closure.

The students have chosen the fabric, cut the fabric, added a stabilizer fabric for strength, and added reinforced stitching to make a quality bag. One of our students, Auron, has also designed a tag. The back of the tag will be signed by who has made the bag, and will be attached to every bag.

They have been working very diligently in work study to accomplish this, so look for them soon as many are very near completion. 

Special Grounds Coffee Talk

Special Grounds Coffee Talk

Things have been very busy at Special Grounds the past few months we continue to be humbled and amazed at the outpouring of support and encouragement that we receive from the surrounding communities! Below are a few of the exciting things we wanted to share:

Special Grounds Turns 1 Year Old!

In September, we celebrated the cafe’s 1st birthday! It’s hard to believe that we’ve been open an entire year already. The time has flown by and we are amazed at all that our staff and kiddos have accomplished.

Cinnamon Rolls Are a Big Hit!

We have recently introduced a special offering to our bakery counter on Friday mornings: homemade cinnamon rolls! To say these cinnamon rolls have been a big hit would be a huge understatement. They are a huge labor of love and take three days to prepare everything from scratch. Every Friday morning, Jen brings out the first batch of freshly baked cinnamon rolls at 7:30 a.m. They’re so delicious and are usually sold out by 9:00 a.m.

NHA Staff Lunch Program

We received many requests from our staff at NHA from both campuses to come up with a way for them to order lunches from Special Grounds as they are unable to leave their students many times and go out for lunch on their own. Recently we’ve developed an employee portal where staff can order lunches once a week from the cafe. Students make and package these lunches on their specific days during their work study time. Students from the high school then get to pickup and deliver lunches to the NHA classrooms once a week.

Fundraising Season Kicks Off

Are you tired of doing car washes, selling candy or doing the same old boring fundraising activities to raise funds for your schools, clubs or churches? Here at Special Grounds we know what it takes to make people happy… and that’s coffee! We LOVE partnering with local schools, clubs and churches to develop unique FUNdraising programs centered around Special Grounds coffee. Contact Trishelle or Tara today to learn how Special Grounds can help you meet your fundraising goals with our fun and creative FUNdraising programs. 

2022 NHA Fun Run/Walk Recap

2022 NHA Fun Run/Walk Recap

We held our first ever NHA Family Fun Run/Walk event on Sunday, October 23 at the Blue Creek Metropark in Whitehouse, Ohio. We were very blessed to have an absolutely beautiful day for the event!

We had 142 people participate in this event. Participants ran, walked, pushed and pulled strollers, wagons and wheelchairs in both the 1K walk and 5K run.

Thank you to everyone who came out in support of our this event. Not only did we celebrate NHA’s 10th Anniversary… we also raised funds to support the inclusive playground project at our NHA Springfield campus.

Thank you to our sponsors, donors, volunteers and all the family and friends who participated and made this such a special day!

Thank You Sponsors!
Event Sponsors
  • Blue Layne Boutique
  • Csehi Family
  • Hite Concrete Equipment, Ltd.
Prize Sponsors
  • Dermatology Associates, Inc.
  • Meijer Maumee Store #115
  • Nagle Companies, Inc.
  • Reinbolt Family
  • The Image Group
Run Sponsors
  • The Leaf and Seed Cafe
  • Wolf Creek YMCA

NHA Christmas Musical Reminder

NHA Christmas Musical Reminder

Don’t forget!

On Tuesday, December 13, 2022, the students of New Horizons Academy in Wauseon will be presenting “The Grumps of Ring-A-Ding Town,” a Christmas musical, and other musical numbers.

As in years past, our Christmas musical will take place at Pettisville Missionary Church, in Pettisville, Ohio at 6:00 p.m. 

Each student will be offered a part in the show, so please mark your calendars for this exciting event!

More detailed information will be coming home with the students in the next few weeks… but for now, just SAVE THE DATE (and tell your friends)!

Giving Tuesday 419

Giving Tuesday 419

Mark your calendars for #GivingTuesday419!

#GivingTuesday is a global giving movement. Anyone, anywhere can participate. Join us on November 29 as we celebrate generosity in Northwest Ohio on Giving Tuesday at our #GivingTuesday419 event! Registration is now open for the event!

Can’t attend? No problem! You can still support Sara’s Garden, New Horizons Academy and Special Grounds Coffee Co. by making a donation online. Details can be found below.

Event Date:Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Event Location:Founder’s Hall – Sauder Village
22611 State Route 2, Archbold
Event Cost:$30.00 / person

Countdown to #GivingTuesday419

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
Event has ended

You’re invited to join local nonprofits and community members to maximize charitable giving!

Time
Schedule of Events
5:00 p.m.
Doors Open
5:15 p.m.
Different Makers Expo
5:45 p.m.
Dismissal by table for dinner
6:30 p.m.
Difference Makers panels begin and giving platform opens
8:30 p.m. (approx.)
Grand total announcement
8:35 p.m. (approx.)
Check out begins. Please hold all checks until the program ends.
If you’re giving through your Everence donor advised fund, you do not have to formally check out.
To expedite check out, open and use an Everence donor advised fund.
Checks must be made out to Everence Foundation.
No cash or credit card gifts can be made at gala.

No gift is too small to inspire change in Northwest Ohio! 

During this Giving Tuesday season, you’ll be able to support our kiddos vocational training program at Special Grounds Coffee Co. Through your caring and support, we hope to continue to make a difference in the lives of our special needs children and their families. No gift is too small to help inspire change in Northwest Ohio!

If you can’t attend the 2022 Giving Tuesday 419 Difference Makers Expo you can still support our mission. Online donations can be made by clicking on the link below.

For additional information regarding #GivingTuesday419 please contact Tara at 419.335.SARA or via email at tarad@sarasgarden.org.

2022 NHA Christmas Musical

2022 NHA Christmas Musical

Be sure to save the date for the 2022 NHA Christmas musical! This year, the students will be performing “The Grumps of Ring-A-Ding Town”.

The bells of ol’ Ring-A-Ding Town have stopped ringing because the townspeople have completely lost their holiday spirit. With all of the pressures of the season, they have become so grumpy that even the bells refuse to ring. When a severe winter storm pounds the village with ice, wind and snow, the grumpy citizens are reminded how much they need each other and how rewarding it can be to share and care for one another in the true spirit of the season. When peace, love and joy returns, the bells of Ring-A-Ding Town begin to ring again.

Event Date:Tuesday, December 13, 2022
Event Location:Pettisville Missionary Church, Pettisville, Ohio
Event Time:6:00 p.m.
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
Event has ended

You’re not going to want to miss this memorable holiday event!

NHA Fun Run/Walk 2022

NHA Fun Run/Walk 2022

On Sunday, October 23, NHA is hosting it’s first ever FAMILY FUN RUN/WALK! This event is perfect for the whole family! It features a 1K walk and 5K walk/run. We hope to see you there!

Event Date: Sunday, October 23, 2022
Event Location: Blue Creek Metropark, Glacier Pavilion
7035 Providence Street, Whitehouse, OH 43571
Event Format: 1K Walk, 5K Walk/Run
Event Tim: 2:00 p.m. Check-in / 3:00 p.m. Start
Event Cost: $30.00 (Includes event t-shirt if entered by October 2)
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
Event has ended

All proceeds from this event will be used towards the outdoor playground project for New Horizons Academy’s Springfield Campus. Sara’s Garden is a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Partnership Opportunities

Event Sponsor – $500.00

  • Includes event sponsor signage and program recognition.

Prize Sponsor – $250.00

  • Includes prize sponsor signage and program recognition.

Run Sponsor – $100

  • Includes run sponsor signage and program recognition.

For additional information regarding partnership opportunities or registration for the 2022 NHA Family Fun Run/Walk please contact Tara at 419.335.SARA or via email at tarad@sarasgarden.org.

With 1K and 5K events planned, this event has something for the whole family! We hope to see you there!

Holistic Ovarian Cancer Care

Holistic Ovarian Cancer Care

The American Cancer Society estimates that nearly 20,000 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year. Ovarian cancer is relatively rare, accounting for only about 3 percent of all cancers in women. However, ovarian cancer is currently the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in the United States.

Ovarian cancer can be a very difficult and trying disease. It has a 47% five-year survival rate… meaning that more than half of those treated by conventional oncology do not respond favorably to the treatments. Furthermore, those patients who do enter remission are likely to be faced with a recurrent and persistent form of cancer that standardized protocols are not properly equipped to combat.

Crystal had dealt with numerous health problems since she was seven years old. Despite these issues, she had always maintained an active lifestyle. To her, life is precious and she was not willing to allow health concerns to stop her from the purpose God had for her life. In 2016, Crystal was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and had a partial hysterectomy. She refused chemotherapy as she still wanted to have children and was concerned about the possible long-term, negative effects chemo would have on her body. Instead, she started receiving high IV doses of vitamin C monthly. In March 2020, Crystal learned that the cancer had spread. Doctors scraped cancer from off of her organs and performed a complete hysterectomy.

Crystal started seeing an alternative cancer specialist in Minnesota who helped create a plan for testing, diet and nutrition. This alternative approach was aimed at discovering and treating the cancer’s root cause, not the cancer itself. While ’cause’ is usually ignored by standard oncology, the Centers for Disease Control lists numerous proven cancer causes found via laboratory studies, often post-mortem. They list a host of environmental toxins, bacteria, viruses, and numerous other organisms that can enter a cell and disrupt its replication cycle. Crystal’s plan included Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to help with detoxification, aid in stimulating the immune system and recover health.

All of the cells in the body require oxygen to survive, even cancer cells. This fact has led to a common misconception that cancer cells thrive on oxygen and accelerate the growth of cancer, making Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy ill-suited in the treatment of cancer. Several recent studies have shown this not to be the case and confirmed that HBOT does not induce cancer growth, recurrence, or metastasis. When you have tumors in your body, they often outgrow their oxygen supply. Instead of failing to survive without enough oxygen, some cancer cells can actually thrive and even resist treatment, contributing to the further growth of the cancer.

According to these studies, low oxygen levels in a cell interrupt the activity of oxidative phosphorylation, a term for the highly efficient way that cells normally use to convert food to energy. Hypoxia, which is low oxygen levels, is present in many cancer cells, including ovarian cancers. HBOT is a great adjunctive therapy to compliment most cancer treatments. By flooding your system with concentrated oxygen in your bloodstream, HBOT can help make your cancer cells easier to kill with treatments like chemotherapy and radiation while also activating the body’s natural healing process.

Additional benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for cancer treatment include:

  • Triggering the growth of new blood vessels, which increases the flow of blood and nutrients to your tissue
  • Raises Ph levels in the body, making the body more basic and less acidic
  • Boosting the performance of white blood cells to prevent infection and kill bacteria
  • Reducing pressure, swelling, or pain in the cancer site
  • Reverses the negative effects and damage caused from radiation therapy

When receiving treatment for cancer, HBOT can work in synergy with chemotherapy, radiation, and a ketogenic diet. It may also mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation and decrease the recovery time after surgical procedures. The use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to treat cancer side effects aims to reduce the damage to healthy tissue and blood vessels, helping the body become stronger and fight off the disease.

Her family was already familiar with HBOT as Crystal’s father had received treatments in a hyperbaric chamber in California years before to treat the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). They were aware of Sara’s Garden’s reputation as a successful alternative treatment center. She found the staff at Sara’s Garden to be very friendly, compassionate and knowledgeable. Crystal received 9 HBOT treatments at Sara’s Garden after her last surgery and another 8 treatments a few months later.

Following treatments, Crystal noticed that not only did her lungs felt stronger, she felt better overall. Small cuts on her hands healed in only a few days, where they would normally take at least a week. The effects were subtle, yet remarkable. Most importantly, her blood tests stayed on point. Her plan is to continue to come back for a few treatments each year as an annual maintenance plan to maintain her health and wellness and states that “What HBOT has done for me was so worth my time and money.”.

Ovarian cancer patients need to know about HBOT! It is vital for patients to begin treatment as soon as possible, so knowing the symptoms is crucial. A few of these symptoms include abdominal swelling, quickly feeling full, weight loss, fatigue and back pain. Women need to check with their doctor regularly and discuss any potential symptoms. Once diagnosed, any and all options must be considered, including Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy from Sara’s Garden.

No matter what you’ve been told, there is hope… for this and many other conditions. HBOT is treatment without drugs… without surgery… without pain.

2022 Drive Fore Hope Recap

2022 Drive Fore Hope Recap

We would like to thank everyone today for the continued support of Sara’s Garden. This year’s Drive Fore Hope Charity Scramble couldn’t have been possible without the support of so many who sponsored, donated, played or volunteered for the event. We were blessed with beautiful weather and an amazing course at Ironwood Golf Course.

A special thank you to the following sponsors:

  • Platinum Title Sponsors:
    • Everence Financial
    • Farmers & Merchants State Bank
    • Returning American Warriors (RAW)
    • Rupp Seeds, Inc.
  • Gold Event Sponsors:
    • 20/20 Custom Molded Plastics
    • ACE Hardware – Wauseon
    • Circle K
    • Reitzel Ag Equipment
  • Silver Contest Sponsors:
    • Arrow Tru-Line
    • Auto Images
    • Babcock Flooring
    • Continental Plaza Car Wash & Drive Thru Carry Out
    • EagleCreek Staffing LLC
    • Holthues & Associates
    • Meyer-Badenhop Insurance
    • Miller Brother Construction, Inc.
    • Schuette Construction, Inc.
    • Subway of Archbold, Delta, Swanton, Waterville & West Unity
    • Terry Henricks Auto Group
    • Wauseon Machine & Helping Hands
    • Winzeler & Bok, LTD
  • Bronze Meal Sponsors:
    • Kinsman Propane
    • Pettisville Grain Co.
    • Swanton Welding & Machining Co.
  • O2 Tee Sponsors:
    • Beck Insurance Agency
    • Car 1
    • Cordy Insurance Agency
    • Creighton Electric
    • Edward Jones – Wauseon
    • Gearig Flooring
    • Golf Graphics
    • Grieser Transportation
    • Ironwood Golf Course
    • Krauss-Lane Electric
    • OK Electric
    • Rychener Seed
    • Tomahawk Printing Inc
    • Weeping Willow Florist

We would also like to thank Advanced America for donating the water and snacks for our players, ACE Hardware for donating a barrel pit that we were able to raffle off and Special Grounds Coffee Co. for the delicious lunch for everyone after the event!

Congratulations to Larry Zimmerman and his team from Continental Plaza Car Wash & Drive Thru Carryout for being the 1st place team for the event. A commemorative brick will be created for them and placed in the patio of our playground at NHA.

A complete photo gallery from the event can be found HERE on our Facebook page.

We look forward to seeing everyone again next year!

2022 Wheel of Purses Recap

2022 Wheel of Purses Recap

We would like to thank all of the volunteers, participants and partners that helped make the 2022 Wheel of Purses event such an amazing success. We are so blessed by the turnout and continued support that everyone has shown. Over 40 designer purses were won at the event and it was great getting back out all together for a night of fun, support and love.

A special thank you to the following sponsors:

  • Title Sponsors:
    • Anderzack-Pitzen Construction, Inc.
    • Andres O’Neil & Lowe
    • Defiance Moose Family Center
  • Event Sponsors:
    • Defiance Meijer Store #189
    • Everence
  • Purse Sponsor:
    • Winzeler & Bok

We would also like to thank the following businesses who donated items for our raffles and games:

  • Azteca
  • Root Salon
  • Imagination Station
  • Weeping Willow Florist
  • Anna Martinez at Barre Beauty
  • Becca from Addington Crafts
  • Passion 4 Fashion
  • Marigold Market
  • Los Mariachis
  • ACE Hardware
  • Cedar Point
  • Beth Foor with Mary Kay
  • Stella Leona Artisan Chocolates
  • Jackie Marcinkiewicz with Norwex
  • Special Grounds Coffee Co.
  • Ten Thousand Villages
  • Megan Bialuk with Color Street Nails
  • Allison Bialuk with Purposely Repurposed Boutique
  • DJ Franki Jaye along with the many other anonymous donations.

A complete photo gallery from the night’s festivities can be found HERE on our Facebook page.

We look forward to seeing everyone again next year!