"This is the power of community. When people come together with care and intention, real change happens."
KANDU Industries is always looking for ways to make life fuller, easier, and more joyful for the people they serve. Individuals with disabilities and aging adults with memory loss come to KANDU for more than care. They come to connect. To move. To laugh. To feel like themselves. And thanks to a remarkable collaboration between four local Rotary clubs, they’ll soon have a brand-new way to do all of that—outside.
Together, the District 6250 Rotary Clubs of Janesville Noon, Janesville Morning, Beloit, and Edgerton helped KANDU build an outdoor pavilion at their new Milton, WI, location, where they relocated in 2023. It’s a simple structure: open-air, covered, fully accessible, but for its clients, it will open a world of possibility.
It’ll be a spot for outdoor meals and art projects, a place for music and movement classes, or an indoor retreat for some quiet moments away from the hustle and bustle; a place where clients can be active and social in a way that feels safe and supported; a space built for them—not retrofitted, not halfway there, rather fully designed from the ground up to meet their needs.
People with disabilities and aging adults with dementia are often overlooked when it comes to outdoor recreation. Too often, public spaces are not built with their needs in mind: the ground is uneven; the entrances are too narrow; the noise is overstimulating. These barriers can make it impossible for KANDU clients to feel safe so they may relax and enjoy the outdoors. This pavilion changes that, because a group of local Rotarians recognized an opportunity to create something lasting and showed up to bring it to life.
On May 10, KANDU welcomed dozens of Rotarians from across District 6250 to their Milton campus for a hands-on workday to help complete the project. There was painting, planting, building, laughing. By the end of the day, the pavilion wasn’t just a structure, it was a gathering place.
This is the power of community. When people come together with care and intention, real change happens. KANDU is deeply grateful to the Rotary Clubs of Janesville Noon, Janesville Morning, Beloit, and Edgerton—not just for their financial support, but for their time, their sweat, and their belief in what’s possible when everyone gets a seat at the table. Or in this case, a spot in the shade.
“Our move to this larger facility in Milton marks a new chapter for KANDU—one focused on growing our capacity and deepening our impact.” said KANDU Executive Director Kathy Hansen. “As the need for community-based support continues to outpace available resources, we’re committed to meeting that need with thoughtful, inclusive programming. Our new building and this beautiful new pavilion are just the beginning. With continued support, we can expand even further, reaching more individuals, supporting more families, and ensuring that no one is left behind.”