Google Global Site Tag:
ARTICLE
Naples, FL – Naples Therapeutic Riding Center (NTRC), a non-profit organization providing therapeutic horseback riding and other equine-facilitated group services to children and adults with special needs, is pleased to announce The League Club, Inc. has awarded NTRC a grant from their Community Trust Fund to provide 35 participant scholarships. President Charlene Barnette said, “For over three decades The League Club has strengthened this community through our philanthropic grants and volunteerism. This year, our Commitment to Community is stronger than ever and with 2019 grants awarded to 35 area nonprofits totaling $343,743 to support education, hunger relief and healthcare.” The grant will specifically fund the annual costs for weekly therapeutic riding lessons for 23 riders with special needs and physical challenges as well as an 8-week equine group program for 12 at-risk children and teens with mental health challenges. Therapeutic riding lessons help people with cognitive, physical and emotional disabilities. During lessons the horse’s movement mimics the movement of a human’s walk and provides physical, sensory, and neurological stimulation. Riding lessons help children like Arbi Balanca. He suffered a serious stroke in utero that affects his posture and balance which causes him to favor one side of his body. His family turned to a rigorous routine of occupational, speech and physical therapy complemented with therapeutic horseback riding at NTRC. When he started riding, he wasn’t talking or walking on his own and it took three volunteers to get him on the horse. Today, he needs minimal help and can confidently hold the reins and complete the exercises with his weak hand. He has also made life-long friends at NTRC – many who have the same physical limitations. Lily Balanca, Arbi’s mother, said, “Doctors told us Arbi may never walk or talk. NTRC helped prove them wrong. This place, and the people who support it, have changed his entire life.” Equine groups include equine-facilitated learning and psychotherapy services. These services are provided in collaboration with local non-profits serving the mental health needs of our most vulnerable populations. Partners include David Lawrence Center, Shelter for Abused Women & Children, Pace Center for Girls, Avow Hospice, Hazelden Betty Ford and others. During the 8-week sessions, participants work directly with horses while engaging in a group process to help overcome challenges in their lives. The goals are to foster trust, strengthen boundaries, increase communication skills, and build self-esteem and awareness. Missy Lamont, NTRC Executive Director, said, “We are grateful to The League Club, Inc. for furthering our mission and supporting our essential, life-changing services. Our partnership is built on the principle of community collaboration – organizations working together to improve the lives of our most vulnerable populations.”