Grounds for Gratitude

Five years ago, in the midst of the uncertainty and challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Special Grounds Coffee Co. was born out of necessity, hope, and a vision for the future. As vocational placements became increasingly difficult to secure for students at New Horizons Academy, our team saw an opportunity to create something meaningful right here at home. What began as a way to provide valuable job training has grown into a thriving coffee shop that has become an important part of our community while transforming the lives of the students we serve.

Over the past five years, Special Grounds has provided countless opportunities for students to build confidence, develop practical job skills, and experience the pride that comes from meaningful work. Whether greeting customers with a smile at the café counter or drive-thru window, learning to roast and flavor premium coffee beans, preparing our delicious sandwiches and pastries in the kitchen, or completing behind-the-scenes responsibilities like inventory management, writing thank-you notes, and stocking and stamping cups and sleeves, every task is designed to help students develop skills that will benefit them for years to come.

As Special Grounds has continued to grow, so have the opportunities available to our students. One of our most exciting additions has been the launch of the Special Grounds coffee truck, allowing us to take our mission beyond our café walls and into the communities we serve. From local events to businesses and community gatherings, the coffee truck has created even more hands-on vocational experiences while introducing new customers to both our exceptional coffee and our incredible students.

None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of our community. Every cup of coffee purchased, every sandwich ordered, every event booked, and every encouraging conversation has helped make Special Grounds more than just a coffee shop. Together, our customers, volunteers, donors, and community partners have helped create an environment where students are empowered to learn, grow, and discover what they are capable of achieving.

As we prepare to celebrate our fifth anniversary in September, we are filled with gratitude for everyone who has been part of this remarkable journey. While we are proud of everything we have accomplished together over the past five years, we know the best is still ahead. Thank you for believing in our mission, supporting our students, and making Special Grounds Coffee Co. such a special place. We look forward to serving our amazing customers, and creating even more life-changing opportunities for our students, for many years to come.

A Summer of Growth, Progress, and Smiles

The halls of Sara’s Garden’s Wauseon campus were filled with excitement, determination, and plenty of smiles during our 2026 Summer Enrichment Program. Throughout the program, our incredible kiddos embraced every opportunity to learn, grow, and challenge themselves. Whether they were reinforcing skills they had already developed or reaching exciting new milestones, each child demonstrated remarkable perseverance and enthusiasm. It was truly inspiring to watch their confidence blossom as the weeks unfolded.

None of this would have been possible without our outstanding team of therapists, teachers, intervention specialists and volunteers. Their passion, creativity, and unwavering commitment created an environment where every student felt encouraged to succeed. By working together across disciplines, our staff helped each child make meaningful progress while ensuring camp remained engaging, supportive, and fun.

We are grateful for the Speech Therapy students from the University of Toledo who completed their summer clinical placements with us. Their compassion, professionalism, and eagerness to learn made a tremendous impact on both our students and our team. They quickly became an important part of the Sara’s Garden family, and we are excited to watch them flourish and wish them luck as they begin their careers as speech-language pathologists. We sincerely thank them for sharing their talents with us this summer.

Summer intervention camps provide so much more than a fun seasonal experience. They give students the opportunity to continue building important skills, maintain consistent routines, and bridge the long break between school years. By keeping children engaged in meaningful therapeutic and educational activities throughout the summer, we help set them up for a smoother transition back into the classroom when fall arrives.

As one incredible camp comes to a close, we are excited to turn the page to our Summer Enrichment Program at our Springfield campus. We can’t wait to see the amazing accomplishments, breakthroughs, and joyful moments that await those students in the weeks ahead. Thank you to every family, staff member, volunteer, and supporter who helped make our Wauseon camp such a tremendous success. Together, we’re creating opportunities for children to reach their fullest potential, one summer at a time.

Special Grounds Sanctuary Refresh

There are moments in the life of a space when it quietly asks to be renewed—not erased or replaced, but deepened. Recently, that’s exactly what we’ve experienced with the sanctuary space at Special Grounds Coffee.

What began as a simple desire to refresh a well-loved space by updating the aging floor turned into something more meaningful: an opportunity to reimagine how this space serves you—our customers and community.

From the start, our goal wasn’t just aesthetic. Yes, you’ll notice the updated flooring, the brighter tones, and the thoughtful layout. But behind the scenes, we made significant improvements to the foundation of the space as well. We replaced the entire subfloor system, removed the stage, updated the lighting, and improved airflow by replacing the fans and increasing ventilation throughout the room. These changes not only enhance comfort but also create a more welcoming environment for everyone who gathers here.

Every decision was guided by a deeper question: How can this space better support connection, reflection, and belonging?

The result is a sanctuary that feels both familiar and new.

By removing the stage, we opened up the room to allow for more seating and create a more natural flow, making it easier for gatherings to feel organic rather than structured. Seating has been intentionally arranged to invite conversation while still leaving room for quiet moments. The lighting now works in harmony with the space, creating an atmosphere that’s just as welcoming for early morning coffee as it is for evening and weekend events.

But perhaps the most important part of this renovation isn’t what we added—it’s what we have kept possible.

This sanctuary is meant to hold a wide range of moments: conversations that matter, creative ideas taking shape, quiet pauses in busy days, and gatherings that bring people closer together. It’s a space that adapts to you.

Our newly renovated sanctuary is still available to rent for your upcoming gatherings. Whether you’re holding a birthday party, baby or bridal shower, or a business meeting, we have you covered.

Sara’s Garden offers facility rental opportunities in both the sanctuary at Special Grounds Coffee and the hall in the NHA Career Center for larger events. If you are interested in reserving our facilities for a personal or business event, please visit Special Grounds’ website and fill out a reservation form. Please note: filling out this form does not guarantee a reservation. After you submit your request, our team will follow up with you directly via phone or email to answer any questions and confirm availability.

Sara’s Garden provides hope through health, education, and vocational services to empower individuals with disabilities to live as independently as possible. As a community-based nonprofit, all rentals and donations directly support our special needs programming here in Northwest Ohio.

We’re incredibly grateful for your patience while this work was underway, and even more grateful to share the finished space with you now. Whether you come in to meet a friend, attend an event, or simply to enjoy a quiet moment alone, we hope you feel what we set out to create: A space that welcomes you exactly as you are—and gives you room to stay awhile.

We can’t wait to see how you make it your own.

FACILITY RESERVATION REQUESTS

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month Recap

March 2026 – Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month Recap

Here at New Horizons Academy we believe in recognizing the immense potential and unique talents within every student.

In March we celebrated Disabilities Awareness Month by highlighting our NHA Handcrafted Hope Program. Parents, staff, family, friends and community members were invited to our Handcrafted Hope Sale on March 9, where the students worked tirelessly on special projects – burlap bags totes, keychains, coasters, earrings and other various items. The students also had a few pieces of artwork on display showcasing their persistence, creativity and joy.

Our Junior and Senior High Students set up the event and worked small shifts during the day to assist with the sale.

All the proceeds from the event will be used towards vocational & life skills equipment for our students.

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported our event.

Final Reminder for 2026 Summer Programs

Our 2026 Summer Enrichment programs are quickly approaching and we are currently taking registrations for both our Wauseon and Springfield locations.

2026 Summer Program Dates:

Wauseon: June 1-26
Springfield: July 6 – August 31

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 Michelle Nagle at 833.668.7272 or via email at michellen@sarasgarden.org.

Playground Surface Project

For years, the playground at Sara’s Garden and New Horizons Academy has been a place of laughter, growth, and inclusion — a space where children of all abilities could play, explore, and connect. Unfortunately, due to instances of vandalism and misuse over the years, the playground surface and several pieces of equipment have sustained significant damage. A while back, we made the difficult decision to close the playground to the public until essential repairs and resurfacing could be completed to ensure the no further damage occur.

The playground’s poured-in-place rubber surface, originally installed to provide a safe and fully handicap-accessible play environment, was a major investment in inclusion. When first constructed, the cost to install this specialized surface was just over $150,000. Today, due to rising material and labor costs, resurfacing the playground will exceed $300,000 — whether we choose to reinstall a poured-in-place rubber surface or transition to a high-quality artificial turf system designed for accessibility and durability.

The good news is that donors have already stepped forward in a powerful way. Through generous donations and dedicated fundraising efforts, we have raised nearly half of the funds needed to complete this project. Our goal is to secure the remaining support and fully restore the playground by the start of the 2026–27 school year. Reopening this space will once again provide children with a safe, welcoming environment where everyone can participate fully, regardless of physical ability.

As we look to the future, we are also developing plans to reopen the playground to the public in a more structured way. By implementing controlled access and monitoring measures, we hope to protect this important community resource and prevent the vandalism and misuse that led to its closure. Our vision is not only to rebuild, but to preserve and safeguard the playground for generations of children to come.

We invite individuals, families, businesses, and community organizations to join us in making this vision a reality. Financial contributions of any size bring us closer to reopening this vital space. Just as importantly, sharing our mission, connecting us with potential sponsors, or encouraging local organizations to support the project can make a meaningful difference.

Together, we can restore a place where every child is welcomed, included, and free to play. Your generosity and advocacy will help ensure that this accessible playground continues to serve as a source of joy, growth, and community connection for years to come!

Donate Now

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

LET’S CELEBRATE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AWARENESS MONTH TOGETHER!

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and we have several ways for you to support it.

Please show your support by hanging an orange ribbon or bow on our door, car, mailbox or somewhere in your home or place of business during the month of March.
Wear ORANGE on THURSDAY, MARCH 12, and post a picture on your personal or business social media pages.
Attend our New Horizons Academy Handcrafted Hope Gallery & Sale.

Mark your calendars for our 3rd annual NHA Handcrafted Hope Sale! Our New Horizons Academy junior and senior high students have been working hard on items that have expressed their creativity and abilities. There will be a few items for sale, art work displayed and other items that we will accept a free will donation.

With March being Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, we wanted an additional opportunity for our students to display their creative sides through our Handcrafted Hope Program’s art gallery and sale. All proceeds from the event go right back into the program to purchase more supplies and materials.

Date:	Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Time:	9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Format:	Sara’s Garden (HBOT center lobby) 620 West Leggett St. Wauseon, Ohio
Purpose:	March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. We want to showcase the amazing work and talent of our students.

Our Voice, Our Strength! Let’s Celebrate Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month Together!

2026 Summer Programs