Trinity Services, Joliet

I visited the garden project attached to the day program at Trinity Services, in Joliet, just south of Chicago.

Trinity Services are the largest residential home operators for people with disabilities in the Illinois area. The horticultural therapy program is attended by approximately 40 people each day and is just one of the many learning opportunities offered by Trinity services, including vocational programs for people aiming to enter competitive employment.

The building was previously a school and the outdoor grassed ‘playground’ has been slowly converted into a working therapy garden since a greenhouse was installed in the early 1990’s. Led by trained horticultural therapist Laura Donnelly the garden now contains two large greenhouses, various sitting areas, a turtle pond, different sized raised beds, including one that rotates so people in wheelchairs do not have to keep moving when working the whole bed. The also have a large variety of bought adapted tools to meet everyone’s working needs.

As well as the traditional gardening activities they offer a large range of alternative activities for service users to be involved in, such as making seasonal wreaths, drying flowers and making potpourri, all of which are sold along with plants at regular sales. All money raised goes back into the program.

Drying Flowers

Trinity Services and the garden program are well known in the local community and this has led to specific projects in the garden being supported and carried out by the Boy Scouts (they got a badge for their work) and Caterpillar, the American construction equipment manufacturer, amongst others.

Rotating Bed