Its Been a Great Year
2017 is coming to a close and it is a good time to reflect on all we have accomplished this year. Our teams have done a record number of visits this year. We received two grants that had a big impaction our therapy programs and on those we visit. The first grant from the Hamilton Community Foundation allowed the program to purchase a used van to be used as an additional means of transportation for the horses and a second team of handlers. The second grant from the Charles H Dater Foundation enabled Seven Oaks Farm Miniature Therapy Horses to bring an anti bullying message to over 30 private schools in the Ross, Hamilton and Cincinnati areas. The grant also led to schools being able to participate in an anti-bully poster contest that will culminate with students being invited to attend a Reds baseball event this spring. Your private donations have made a huge impact on our horses and on our teams. We have been able to visit more care facilities and made a record number of visits to area care facilities and nursing homes. All this happened, plus we were able to meet our usual request to do private hospice visits for families, make monthly visit with the families at Ronald McDonald House in Cincinnati, and attend Camp Joy hosted by the Cincinnati Police Department, visit students at several university campuses and attend several public events and parades.. This year we have been kept busy doing therapy visit for the Hamilton Police Department attending Safety Town, and partnering with them for several school, anti-bullying presentations and their annual picnic. Cincinnati Police department hosted their annual National Night Out and many other events as well. Our year has been packed with therapy visits for the young and elderly. Our therapy horses were also part of a several awards won by Northern Kentucky Cincinnati Airport thru our partnership to bring therapy support to airline passengers. This same time last year we were very proud to be marching as invited guest to the Tournament of Roses Parade 2017 with our team. Much has occurred this year as we have tried to increase the reach of our program and to find new ways to make it better. One of the ways we have increased the reach of our program is to increase the number of facilities and school we visit. We also have focused on training our horses to be sent to other facilities that are doing therapy and teach other therapy groups about our methods of training and handling. We were able to place horses with several groups this year and hope to see the horses and the groups flourish. Last year we presented seminars that covered information on handling and putting together a top notch therapy program. Later this spring you will be able to purchase DVD's of this seminar.
What does the new year look like.
The new year looks amazing and we are excited to get started. We will continue to make as many visits as possible and focus on children a bit more this year. Thru our focus on children we hope to bring our new anti-bullying program, called Valor VIP that is created and written by Lisa Moad, to at least 40 schools. We also will be dedicating many of our visits to meet the needs of children with autism. We will be partnering with local programs to provide therapy were it is beneficial. We have created many goals we believe will keep us on the right track to improve our program and keep us a leaders in the field of animal assisted therapy. We are dedicated to educating and teaching others about what we do, so we have added 6 new seminar dates to our year. We will have a full year ahead, one that is bound to be very rewarding. It is a year that will only be possible thru your generous donation.
We have many ways to support our program, you can give monthly or yearly or just a one time donation. Another way is to become a Guardian Angel. The guardian Angel program supplies the basic needs like grain, hay, medicine and hoof care for just our therapy horses. Total monthly cost is about $200 but you can begin being a Guardian Angel for just $25 per month or for the total cost of $200 per month. You can choose a specific horse to sponsor, make private visits, receive updates on your horse and receive special gifts too. We need your financial donation to keep all our programs operating at full strength so that they can continue serving thousands in our area. The impact these horses and their handlers have on those they visit is immeasurable. Eyes sparkle, smiles shine , laughter is abundant and for some hope returns.
Thank you for your encouragement, your help, and especially your donation. We hope your new year is one full of wonderful things and we also hope you will be a part of our new year.
