Wisconsin Landscape Contractors Association Donate to Habitat for Humanity

On a very warm Sept. 5 and 6, the members of the Fox Cities chapter of the Wisconsin Landscape Contractors Association (WLCA) combined their resources to give a helping hand to a family less fortunate. 

WLCA members volunteer with a Habitat for Humanity project

As a group, they try to do one or two charitable projects every year. On these two days, members put in long hours to transform the site of the Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity's 100th house completion from an urban eyesore to a model landscape designed to provide curb appeal and a beautiful environment surrounding this milestone home.

Before any plants or materials could be brought on site, landscapers invested substantially in site prep. Prior to the
arrival of 38 cubic yards of pulverized topsoil donated by Swinkles Trucking (Kaukauna); crews from D.L. Schmalz (Appleton); Landscape Construction Systems, Peterson Landscaping, and Premier Landscape Services LLC (Kaukauna); and Stuart's Landscaping and Garden Center (Oshkosh) removed considerable site debris, including piles of waste vegetation killed off earlier. 

WLCA members volunteer with a Habitat for Humanity project

After rough and finish grading to dramatically improve drainage and provide a level surface, the site was raked & prepped for the installation of more than 4,000 square feet of new sod, which was donated by Black Creek Sod, then transported and loaded on-site by crews and equipment provided by Vande Hey's Landscape & Garden Center (Appleton). 

Over the course of two days, these members were joined by Gary Lemke of
Gary L. Lemke Landscaping (Potter) and Jim Beard of Fox Valley Technical College (Appleton) and several of his students, working alongside Weyers Equipment (Kaukauna), John Deere Landscapes #705 (Kaukauna), and Irrigation Services LLC (Menasha), who edged and filled several attractive ornamental mulch beds while planting several dozen plants and shrubs donated by Vande Hey's Landscape & Garden Center, Peterson Landscaping, and Gary L. Lemke Landscaping.  After laying the sod to put the finishing green touches on this project, members shook hands over a job well done. 

The value of projects like this one extends far beyond the property lines of a single site.

"Projects like a Habitat for Humanity build site bring together people from all walks of life," remarked John Weyenberg, Executive Director of Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity. 

While emphasizing that every home is equally important to this altruistic organization as it pursues its mission of ‘Building Houses, Building Hope, and Building Lives’ to construct affordable housing with the assistance of each new homeowner, Weyenberg was particularly enthusiastic about the results of this landscape project, observing, "The importance of this project is the wonderful work that your group has done; it's really made Kim's home stand out in the neighborhood!  It's these partnerships that bring that extra professional touch to our organization and put everyone one step closer to a beautiful place to live."

Kim Kuehne, the proud new homeowner, couldn't agree more. When asked about her new residence, Kuehne said, “I just love being outside! It’s such a big thing for the kids to see a plant or water a flower.”  In fact, the first pictures she took at the home she shares with daughters Kayla and Kyra were of the girls smelling their new flowers.