Fall mums, pumpkins and handcrafted stepping stones grown and made by young adults with disabilities will fill Foyo Plaza on Water Street on Saturday, Oct. 3.
We Grow Dreams, a West Chicago-based nonprofit that employs and trains adults with disabilities, will hold its fall plant sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the plaza in downtown Naperville. Proceeds go back to the organization's job-training program, which offers more than 45 specific roles for its team members.
The selection includes fall mums, pansies, ornamental cabbage and kale, pumpkins and mixed herb pots, according to the Chicago Tribune. Shoppers will also find handcrafted stepping stones, ornamental teacups and other gift items. Every plant was cultivated by young adults in the program who graduated from high school transition programs.
No admission fee has been listed for the sale. Free parking is available in the Water Street parking deck south of the Hotel Indigo.
Greenhouse grower Jossy Martinez, who has more than 25 years of experience at the West Chicago facility, handles over 265,400 plants a year through suppliers alone. She also propagates 3,800 plants from stock and grows almost 24,000 from seeds, including more than 13,500 mums each fall, according to the organization's staff page.
Nick Ryan, founder and executive chairman of Marquette Companies, the developer behind the Water Street District, said in a statement that the sale pairs well with the plaza's foot traffic. "We are proud to support their efforts to provide training and employment for these special young adults," Ryan said, as reported by Patch.
A small group of Naperville parents founded We Grow Dreams in 2004 after purchasing a greenhouse in West Chicago formerly called WeGo Greenhouse. Executive Director Gregg Bettcher has led the organization since 2015. The nonprofit also runs a craft program producing custom stepping stones, greeting cards and garden decor.
The organization is raising money through a capital campaign aiming to build a 2,000-square-foot multipurpose building and expand its training program. Foyo Plaza sits along the south bank of the DuPage River, steps from the Riverwalk.







