Terry Schultz

Occupational therapist Terry Schultz often volunteers in the community as part of her Temple’s community improvement. Her projects are often OT-related — and they are always focused on human advocacy.

She is a founding committee member of her current project with Congregation Or Atid (COA), which is transforming an abandoned community space into a sensory and memory garden. The vegetables and herbs that grow from the garden are taken to a local food pantry in Richmond, Virginia.

“The gardens at COA include essential elements that stimulate the senses through textures, sounds, color, scent, intellect, and functional mobility,” Schultz said. “The goal for the sensory garden wall on the playground at COA is to focus primarily on developing the basic senses, including tactile, auditory, gross and fine motor, cognitive, socialization, and play skills. The vegetable, herb, and flower gardens and its accessible playground further enhance using all our senses, including the olfactory, vestibular, and proprioceptive skills.”

Schultz works with local graduate students and middle schoolers on the sensory wall, which she tackled because of her OT background.

Katherine Long, the director of rehabilitation services at Parham Doctors’ Hospital, said, “I am proud of Terry and so glad to have her on my acute therapy team as she is always blending her knowledge base and resources to better our patients’ lives.”