The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), a not-for-profit trade association serving Austin’s commercial real estate industry, named the Center for Child Protection its Charity of the Year in 2024. Throughout the year, BOMA raised more than $10,000 in support of the children we serve, and in spring 2025, they used those funds to enhance Christopher’s Garden — the Center’s therapeutic sensory space.
At the Center, we use experiential therapy — incorporating movement, rhythm, and sensory stimulation — to help children process trauma and regulate their emotions. Christopher’s Garden is a therapy area designed to engage the senses. Children can touch textured plants, smell fragrant flowers, listen to wind chimes, and watch sunlight dance through the leaves of the trees. This gentle sensory stimulation helps ease anxiety, foster mindfulness, and create a sense of safety and calm during therapy.
Thanks to BOMA’s leadership and the generous contributions of its members, Christopher’s Garden has received several meaningful upgrades to enhance sensory exploration. Their support extended beyond fundraising — they also coordinated contractors to expand irrigation and electrical access, making the new installations possible. Children in therapy will now enjoy larger garden beds filled with diverse, sensory-rich plants, the soothing sounds of a new water fountain and wind chime, the movement of colorful wind spinners, and a freshly painted pergola adorned with vibrant, light-catching mosaic panels.
Christopher’s Garden was originally created in memory of two-year-old Christopher Wohlers, whose tragic death at the hands of his abuser spurred the community into action and led to the founding of the Center for Child Protection. Since then, the Center has helped more than 25,000 children tell their stories of abuse, find support, and take their first steps toward healing.
We are deeply grateful to BOMA for honoring Christopher’s memory and enriching the healing experience for every child who enters Christopher’s Garden.
