About Us

Current Board Members

Ben Hum, President

Holly Riordan, Treasurer

Eric Stenstrom, Secretary

Karen Pachyn, Director

Linda Yoakam, Director

Donna Jarmusz, Director

Gregg Bettcher, Executive Director

This dream is being fulfilled by providing job training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The founders recognized the lack of employment opportunities for people with disabilities and came together to creatively address this need. A greenhouse was identified as a labor-intensive, multiskilled business — something necessary for a dynamic job vocational training ground. Individuals with disabilities were envisioned working with volunteers and greenhouse employees, learning the business, and developing a variety of work skills. This vision became the support model for the venture.

We Grow Dreams has been providing job training and employment to young adults with disabilities for over sixteen years.  We Grow Dreams was founded in 2004 when the founders purchased this greenhouse, formerly called WeGo Greenhouse.  Since then the greenhouse has provided countless hours of job training and development.  

The We Grow Dreams job-training program provides opportunities for our Team Members to learn a variety of tasks in the day-to-day operation of a wholesale and retail greenhouse business. Over 45 specific jobs have been identified for the job-training program including deadheading plants, filling pots with soil for seeds/seedlings, transplanting, spacing plant materials, watering, stocking plants/supplies, greeting & assisting customers, running the cash register, folding cartons, clerical tasks and maintenance tasks. In addition to these jobs, our Craft Program produces greeting cards, hypertufa pots, personalized garden bricks, and bird feeders for sale to the public. Team Members develop valuable work, communication, and social skills that will facilitate their employment in the future.

 

 

This overhead view of the property is a few years old, but the basics haven’t changed a bit.  You can tell we have cleared out all the summer plants in preparation for stocking with fall mums and other decorative plants.

1055 W Washington St

West Chicago, IL  60185

 

Mailing:

PO Box 861

West Chicago, IL. 60186

Office:  630/293-0100

Fax:  630/293-0100

[email protected]

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Expanded Spring Hours:

Monday - Friday:  9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Saturday:  9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Sunday:  10 am - 3 pm