LEWISTON — Spurwink has been awarded a $2,000 grant from International Paper’s Auburn plant and the International Paper Foundation. Funds will support the expansion of therapeutic gardening on Spurwink’s Lewiston day treatment campus.

Therapeutic gardening helps students develop social, practical and vocational skills, and helps build community. Students with developmental disabilities and behavioral health challenges benefit from hands-on learning opportunities, particularly empowering activities with practical applications. The therapeutic garden will give students a hands-on and emotionally regulating experience of working in a garden. It also provides opportunities to plant and grow their own food and share it with the larger community.