Volunteering at local greenhouse turns into whole new career

It all started as just a way for a former teacher to give back a little something during her retirement.

After teaching special education students for 25 years, Laurie Staple of Elburn decided last fall to volunteer a few hours each week at We Grow Dreams Greenhouse & Garden Center in West Chicago.

Training adults with developmental disabilities to work at the greenhouse was the perfect fit for the avid gardener.

"Laurie was very excited because those are her two passions," said Donna Jarmusz, president of We Grow Dreams.

Within months, Staple was working well beyond her allotted volunteer hours. So when the time came to hire a new training program director, the staff knew just the woman for the job.

"Laurie was a natural," Jarmusz said.

For several months now, Staple has been a bona fide staff member at We Grow Dreams, helping to train the workers, teaching them to create portfolios, writing grants, and spreading the word about We Grow Dreams to special education teachers and school districts.

She is also creating a new training method that is picture-based for the workers who learn best through visuals rather than written or verbal instructions.

Staple said she loves her job, and she even continues to volunteer once she's off the clock.

"It's just the whole group here that's great," Staple said. "There's just so much potential."