RGA Receives DuPage Foundation Grant to Sustain Therapeutic Garden Program
Ray Graham Association has received a $24,962 Community Impact Grant from DuPage Foundation to sustain a therapeutic garden program giving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities hands-on access to horticultural therapy and healthy food.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Laura Milewski, Sr. Director of Development
lmilewski@raygraham.org | (630) 620-2222
Ray Graham Association Receives DuPage Foundation Grant to Sustain Therapeutic Garden Program
Community Impact Grant will provide people with intellectual and developmental disabilities hands-on access to horticultural therapy and healthy food
LISLE, Illinois—Ray Graham Association (RGA) has received a $24,962 Community Impact Grant from DuPage Foundation to sustain a therapeutic garden program that gives people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) hands-on access to sensory-based horticultural therapy and healthy food.
The grant will fund raised garden beds, indoor hydroponic gardens, therapeutic and culinary supplies, soil, plants, and staff support, allowing participants to experience the full cycle of growing, harvesting, and preparing fresh food. The program connects people with nature while building skills, confidence, and connection through hands-on engagement.
The therapeutic garden reflects RGA's commitment to caring for the whole person, an approach also at the heart of RGA's Emerge Behavioral Health Clinic. Emerge offers counseling, assessment, and treatment from licensed professionals, helping close the mental health gap that too often leaves people with disabilities without access to behavioral health care. Together, programs like these support not only physical health and skill-building but emotional wellbeing.
"This support allows us to keep nurturing a program that does so much more than grow plants," said Laura Milewski, Senior Director of Development of Ray Graham Association. "It gives the people we support a meaningful way to engage with their environment, build new skills, and experience the simple joy of growing something with their own hands. We're grateful to DuPage Foundation and the donors who made this possible."
Community Impact grants are made possible by earnings from permanent endowment funds established by corporations, foundations, individuals, and organizations committed to improving the quality of life for DuPage County residents. RGA's grant was supported by the Harbaugh Family Fund, the LAMP Fund, and the Pane e Pesci Fund.
RGA is accredited by the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL) and serves nearly 2,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the western suburbs of Chicago.
About Ray Graham Association
Ray Graham Association's mission is to empower those we support and those who care for them to reach, grow, and achieve. Founded in 1950, RGA serves nearly 2,000 people with disabilities and employs approximately 350 people across DuPage County and the surrounding region. RGA is accredited by the Council on Quality and Leadership with Person-Centered Excellence Accreditation, with Distinction. Learn more at RayGraham.org.
About DuPage Foundation
DuPage Foundation is DuPage County’s champion for philanthropy. We bring together people, knowledge, and resources to address our community’s greatest challenges and opportunities through collective impact. Our mission is simple, yet profound: to foster philanthropy, connect donors to area needs, and build community partnerships as we help people give efficiently and effectively to the causes they love and create lasting charitable endowments. With more than $150 million in assets under management, we have granted more than $105 million throughout DuPage County and beyond since our founding in 1986. Learn more at dupagefoundation.org. Doing a world of good in our own backyard.®