Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Equine Appeal

Two years ago, Campbell Lodge Boys’ Home made a bold decision – provide therapy to our residents with the use of horses. Children come to our facility scared, withdrawn, and afraid to open up to their problems. We believed that using horses in therapy with children would make a huge difference – and it has!

"A horse is the projection of peoples' dreams about themselves - strong, powerful, beautiful - and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence" (Pam Brown). Children come to us from circumstances filled with trauma and instability. Here’s one story to demonstrate the powerful impact this service has with children.

"This is the best day of my life", declared ten year old Devon as he left the paddock. Remarkably, it was the first time staff had seen Devon smile since his arrival a few weeks earlier. You see, Devon had a history of being abused and had been bullied at school to the point that he refused to attend. Like many of our residents, he voiced his anxiety, anger, and depression by hurting himself and striking out at others. Devon had just left an equine therapy session where he had refused to participate. With gentle coaching, a very tolerant horse, and a lot of reassurance, a beaming Devon finished the session. In that simple exercise, he learned the importance of sticking with something even though it can be challenging. He learned that there are caring adults you can count on to protect you. He learned about courage and overcoming obstacles to reach your goals. Most importantly, Devon learned to believe in himself.

This year, Campbell Lodge Boys' Home celebrates fifty years of serving boys like Devon. Our residents come with complex problems. We estimate that 90% of our residents have been sexually abused, 85% meet the criteria for clinical depression, which in most boys is expressed through physical aggression and anger, and 100% meet the criteria for being at risk for a host of problem behaviors including truancy, substance abuse, and criminal activity.

Your support is needed now to help boys like Devon learn to believe in themselves with the help of a horse. We are in the final phase of our Equine Center Project, which will allow us to provide equine services to our boys regardless of the weather. We will be mailing an appeal brochure in April to our donors and stakeholders; please consider a multi-year pledge of support to help us complete this important project. Your donation means our boys can participate in equine therapy; learn vocational skills that prepare them for entry level positions in the equine industry; and participate in riding lessons that increase their self-esteem and keep them physically active all year round! Please join the many others who have embraced our decision to match children with horses.

Sincerely,

James D. Cutter
Foundation Board Chair

Marna Meier Zalla
Governing Board Chair

Michael L. Schroth
Executive Director