Thank You Good Bears of the World

Have you ever felt sad, anxious, or alone?

Many special needs children have. They have struggled to cope with and overcome their medical and mental health diagnoses, chronic illnesses, physical impairments, orthopedic conditions, behavioral and emotional challenges, and academic and developmental delays. And sometimes, those feelings and emotions are so overwhelming that they can get our kids down and even steal the smiles from their faces.

On those days, the teddy bears from Good Bears of the World (GBW) delivered by Jan Tropf offer them hugs, hope, and healing. Thank you, Jan and GBW, for putting smiles back on the faces of our children, receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), conductive education (CE), and other special therapies!

Thank You, Good Bears of the World, for offering support & healing!

Have You Tried our Sugar Scrub?

With only FOUR simple ingredients (our own Special Grounds coffee, brown sugar, coconut oil, and peppermint essential oil), this scrub will make a GREAT gift (for a friend or YOURSELF – no judgment here)! Coffee is not only delicious to drink, but the benefits from this scrub are numerous. Here are a few:

It Reduces Inflammation
It Improves Blood Circulation
It Removes Dead Skin Cells
It Prevents Premature Aging
It Reduces the Appearance of Cellulite
It Depuffs Swollen Areas
It Helps Reduce Body Acne

Not only that, the sugar that is included in this scrub helps exfoliate the skin and the coconut oil locks in moisture. Did we mention – IT SMELLS DELICIOUS???

We do not recommend you eat, although you technically could!

Our sugar scrub is available for purchase in the cafe at Special Grounds!

Sounds of Music

Did you know that we have a beautiful sanctuary room at Special Grounds Coffee? Did you also know that it is the perfect place for schools to come and share their students’ musical talents?

We have recently been blessed to have Pettisville School’s Noteworthy singing group and jazz band come and perform in our sanctuary at the coffee shop, where family, friends, customers and our NHA students were able to sit and listen to the beautiful voices and musical talents from of one of our local schools.

If your school is interested in coming out and sharing your students’ talents in a safe and beautiful setting please contact Tara Dumas at 419-335-7272 or tarad@sarasgarden.org.

2024 Summer Programs

Our 2024 Summer Enrichment programs are quickly approaching and we are currently taking registrations for both our Wauseon and Springfield locations.

2024 Summer Program Dates:

Wauseon: June 3-28 (Registration deadline is May 1)
Springfield: July 8 – August 2 (Registration deadline is June 1)

If you are considering either of these programs, now is the time to register and arrange funding.

Sara’s Garden offers amazing summer intervention programs for children with disabilities. These month-long programs deliver inclusive therapies that provide interventions for individuals with a variety of conditions and disabilities.

Our caring and experienced staff of licensed therapists, conductors and paraprofessionals create unique, intensive therapy-based programs that are tailored to the needs of each participant and are designed to enhance your child’s developmental skills. This approach not only helps your child to work towards greater independence, it also keeps the regression of skills and development that typically occurs over the summer months at bay.

Goals of these programs include:

Improving Interpersonal Skills:

Relationship building
Responding to his/her name
Learning the names of peers
Basic conversation skills
Behavioral skill development

Improving Fine and Gross Motor Skills:

Range of motion
Sitting and standing
Walking and transfers
Self feeding
Independent living skills

Improving Language Skills:

Vocabulary knowledge and understanding
Basic concepts
Following verbally presented directions
Improving story comprehension
Improve Reading/Writing Skills

Improving Social Skills:

Greetings
Turn Taking
Initiating communication
Informing and directing others
Requesting

Our summer intervention programs also provide support for children who use augmentative communication systems (low tech or high tech) who have language and literacy skills and need more experience with peer to peer social skills.

We serve clients with (but not limited to): ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, CDKL5, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Near Drowning, Seizure Disorders, Sensory Processing Disorders, Spina Bifida, Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury.

Additional information is being compiled on potential funding and grant options for families in need of financial support.

For more information, please contact Ronda Rupp at 833.668.7272 or via email at rondar@sarasgarden.org.

Mobile Opportunities on the Horizon

Back in February, we thanked the Zeisloft Family Trust for their unbelievable support of our organization and teased about an exciting upcoming project at our Special Grounds vocational training center.

Well, the cat (or truck) is out of the bag and we can finally share that we were awarded a brand new coffee truck! This amazing vehicle was custom fabricated for us from the ground up over in Elkhart, Indiana. We duplicated every piece of equipment from the cafe into the truck, making it easier for staff to train and support our students.

This mobile vocational center will expand our current capability out into Northwest Ohio to reach additional special needs students, specifically the students at our Springfield campus and partner schools. It will allow us to further educate the surrounding communities about the vocational needs of young adults with disabilities and promote the awareness that every community can and should support all of its students and community members.

We are so thankful and grateful to the Zeisloft Family Trust for establishing a lasting legacy of vocational, recreational, and therapeutic skill development for special needs children and youth through Sara’s Garden, New Horizons Academy and Special Grounds Coffee Co.! Thank you, Zeisloft Family Trust, for making the future brighter for children and young adults with disabilities!

Thank You to Our Amazing Donors

Sara’s Garden is SO blessed by such caring and truly generous Northwest Ohio organizations, businesses, and family foundations! A SUPER summer thank you goes out to the Ohio Elks Cerebral Palsy (CP) Fund, the Delta Eagles Auxiliary, Lockrey Manufacturing, and the Roach Family Foundation for helping to support our special needs children and their families!

Ohio Elks Association

Thank You to the Ohio Elks Association, its CP Fund, and the Toledo-Sylvania Elks Lodge #53! The Ohio Elks CP Fund donated $14,000 towards the purchase of a key piece of rehabilitative and conductive education (CE) equipment—the Dynamic Stair Trainer Triple, which will electronically elevate steps and simulate a walking slope for our special needs students with cerebral palsy (CP) and other neuromuscular disorders at our new regional special education campus in Springfield Township in Holland, Ohio. It will assist our students from across Northwest Ohio with their rehabilitative, CE, occupational therapy (OT), and daily life skills needs.

The Ohio Elks Association provides financial aid to established Cerebral Palsy Treatment Centers, and Sara’s Garden is honored to be one of their chosen programs. Every year, Ohio Elks Lodges from across the state raise money to support organizations, which provide care, treatment, training, and rehabilitation for individuals with CP. We are so grateful to the Ohio Elks Association, the CP Fund, and the Toledo-Sylvania Elks Lodge #53 for this grant.

To learn more about the Toledo-Sylvania Elks Lodge #53 or the Ohio Elks Association, to make a donation to the CP Fund, or for a fun family day out, stop by the Sylvania Elks Car Show on Saturday, July 29, call 419-841-6653, or log onto https://www.elks.org/lodges/home.cfm?LodgeNumber=53

Delta Eagles Ladies Auxiliary

A big thank you goes out to the Delta Eagles Ladies Auxiliary, which generously donated $5,000 to New Horizons Academy (NHA) and $5,000 to Special Grounds Coffee. The donations will be used for occupational therapy (OT) and vocational skills training supplies for our special needs students and young adults as they practice, master, and hopefully transition their daily life skills into job placement and work-related skills. NHA serves preschool to high school students while Special Grounds Coffee offers vocational skills training and work study placements for special needs young adults.

Delta-area special needs students make up over 10% of NHA’s enrollment. Out of 25 school districts, Delta has the third largest student population at NHA. With student scholarships covering just a portion of NHA’s tuition costs and with over 80% of our students considered low-income, Sara’s Garden and New Horizons Academy are constantly looking for ways to cover our educational expenses. We are just so grateful to the Delta Eagles Ladies Auxiliary for helping us to cover part of our OT and vocational skills costs, so our special education students can practice the daily life and work skills that they will need to become as independent as they can possibly be.

A special congratulations goes out to Pam Castillo on becoming the Ohio State Auxiliary Outside Guard. You can send her your congratulations and warm wished through the Delta Eagles Facebook Page. For more information about the Delta Eagles Auxiliary, call 419-822-0227.

Lockrey Manufacturing

For the first time ever, Sara’s Garden and its special needs students were the recipients of the Lockrey Manufacturing Community Service Grant. Thank you, Lockrey and its 100% employee-owned business for designating us as one of your 2023 community service organizations! This 100% Made in the USA Toledo manufacturer and its very generous employees donated $12,000 towards Playworld’s Balance Trax Obstacle Course and Parallel Bars System for children and young adults with CP as a part of the new, fully inclusive playgrounds at New Horizons Academy’s Springfield Campus to increase physical education (PE), rehabilitation, CE, wellness, and recreational programs for special needs children.

School-aged children with cerebral palsy (CP) are 30% less active and about twice as sedentary as their typically developing classmates. Today’s educators know that play is about more than just fun, recreational, physical activities. The obstacle course and parallel bars are created and customized to meet the needs of children with disabilities. They are physically adaptable for kindergarten to high school students with a wide range of physical and neurological disabilities, and their benefits are endless including lower extremity strengthening, reciprocal leg motion patterning, balancing skills, using visual, spatial perception, and social interaction with adults and peers including building relationships, modeling dignity, sharing ordinary spaces and activities, and making choices together.

For more information on Lockrey Manufacturing, its employee-owned and operated Toledo facility, or its 100% Made in America equipment, log onto https://www.lockreymanufacturing.com/

Roach Family Foundation

Long-time supporter, the Roach Family Foundation donated $10,000 to help Sara’s Garden expand and improve its Vocational Skills Lab at its NHA Springfield Campus. This expansion and renovation include the addition of a three compartment sink and hand washing station, a coffee/beverage prep station, and a commercial washer and dryer with installation of commercial-grade plumbing, electrical conduits and new outlets, and dry wall and finishing. This expansion would support our special needs students’ vocational education in weighing, bagging, and beginning to market and prepare our locally blended and roasted coffees both through retail sales and wholesale efforts with all proceeds going back into supporting the vocational needs of our special education students.

The students would be trained in our vocational skills lab to package, brew up coffee creations, serve customers both on-site and through the Coffee Cart, clean and maintain the unit, and package and sell simple breakfast treats and desserts. The students are so excited and looking forward to serving customers in the Holland and Springfield Township areas. They love visiting and working at the Wauseon Career Center, but they want to become active members of their community–serving coffee and working in Lucas County.

For more information about the Roach Family Foundation, its scholarships, or its work in the Toledo-area, stop by its program center at 2319 S. Detroit Ave. in Maumee.

Sara’s Garden and New Horizons Academy rely so heavily on the generosity and caring of Northwest Ohio businesses organizations, so please take a moment during your busy day to thank the Ohio Elks Cerebral Palsy Fund, the Delta Eagles Ladies Auxiliary, Lockrey Manufacturing, and the Roach Family Foundation for all they do for Sara’s Garden and New Horizons Academy!

Donations continue to be accepted and fundraising efforts continue for the inclusive outdoor playground at our NHA-Springfield Township Campus in Holland. For more information on the playground project or to donate to it, please call 419-335-4NHA or email info@sarasgarden.org.

Thank You for Your Service Bill!

For the past 19 years, Bill Frank has faithfully served as the president of Sara’s Garden. We could not be more grateful for his steadfast commitment and dedication to this organization. Bill’s vision, guidance, expertise and patience have been a huge blessing to everyone here at Sara’s Garden, New Horizons Academy and Special Grounds Coffee Co.

Sadly for us, Bill has accepted an exciting new faculty appointment as an Associate Professor within the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy at Drexel University College of Medicine (DUCOM) as of May 1, 2023. Bill will be one of three anatomist teaching at the West Reading, PA campus. His duties will be mainly teaching anatomy (including gross anatomy) to medical students, graduate students, residents and/or fellows. Approximately 10% of his time will be devoted to scholarly activity, including establishing a plastination laboratory, at the West Reading campus.

Bill has been a guiding force for the organization for nearly two decades and his leadership and presence will be greatly missed.

Thankfully, Bill will be staying on as a board member and participate in board meetings via videoconference. We are excited to announce that Phil Rupp has been elected as the new President of Sara’s Garden and we look forward to working under his leadership.

Please join us in thanking Bill for his service and wish him and Miriam all the best as they embark on this new adventure and turn the page on a new chapter in their lives.

Thank you Bill!

Support Sara’s Garden through GoodShop

Amazon recently ended their AmazonSmile charity program. While this is very disappointing, we are so thankful and appreciative to everyone who has supported us through this program over the years.

If you would like to continue to support Sara’s Garden through your ongoing online purchases you can still do so through GoodShop.

Head over to GoodShop and choose Sara’s Garden as your charity of choice:

SIGN UP TODAY

2023 Summer Programs Reminder

Don’t forget! Our 2023 Summer Enrichment programs are quickly approaching and we are currently taking registrations for both our Wauseon and Springfield locations.

2023 Summer Program Dates:

Wauseon: June 5-30 (Registration deadline is May 1)
Springfield: July 10 – August 4 (Registration deadline is June 1)

If you are considering either of these programs, now is the time to register and arrange funding.

Sara’s Garden offers amazing summer intervention programs for children with disabilities. These month-long programs deliver inclusive therapies that provide interventions for individuals with a variety of conditions and disabilities.

Our caring and experienced staff of licensed therapists, conductors and paraprofessionals create unique, intensive therapy-based programs that are tailored to the needs of each participant and are designed to enhance your child’s developmental skills. This approach not only helps your child to work towards greater independence, it also keeps the regression of skills and development that typically occurs over the summer months at bay.

Goals of these programs include: