Home Depot Foundation donates Cedar Pergola to Meals on Wheels
The Sensory Garden is a therapeutic outdoor space
SHEBOYGAN — Thanks to a generous grant from the Home Depot Foundation and more than 70 hours of donated time by store associates, a Cedar Pergola was installed recently at Meals on Wheels of Sheboygan County.
The Sensory Garden, located behind the Fresh Meals On Wheels building on South Taylor Drive in Sheboygan and adjacent to the Willow Creek Preserve, is a therapeutic outdoor space designed for all community members. Nature-based experiences and sensory stimulation can help spark long-term memory, reduce anxiety, and foster emotional well-being. The garden is a safe, welcoming place for individuals and their loved ones to connect and recharge.
"The Sensory Garden was always meant to include a pergola, somewhere to sit, reflect, and enjoy the space from a bit of shade,” said Jane Nauschultz, Produce and Horticulture Manager at the non-profit. “We just didn’t know when or how it would happen.” That vision became reality when several Home Depot volunteers stepped forward. Oversized cedar beams were pre-cut and delivered to Fresh Meals on Wheels, and a full volunteer crew coordinated a one-day installation of the Cedar Pergola, measuring approximately 20’x16.
“This is the largest community grant we have received,” said Laura Albers, Operations Assistant Store Manager at the Home Depot in Kohler. “We’re proud to support a space that offers so much healing, connection, and peace to the people of our community.”
Over the past few years, with support from the Sheboygan County Stewardship Fund, Wisconsin Public Service, Compeer Financial and generous individual donors, the garden has evolved into a rich, immersive landscape. Its foundation includes native limestone outcroppings donated by a local contractor, permeable and accessible pathways, and boulders that honor the region’s glacial history. The plantings feature native woodland and prairie species that mirror the surrounding ecology.
The project was led by Shayne Hummitsch of Greenscape Services, in partnership with Fresh Meals on Wheels horticulturists Jane Nauschultz and Libby Schmitz. “The addition of the pergola is not only beautiful, it’s functional,” added Schmitz. “It provides a central gathering point for small group activities, family visits, and even just a moment of stillness.”
Fresh Meals On Wheels is grateful for The Home Depot Foundation’s continued commitment to service and their belief in the power of spaces that heals, comforts, and connects. The food grown within the garden is utilized in made-from-scratch meals that are cooked in the Christopher Family Kitchen.
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