50 People for 50 Years: Anne Davenport, Volunteer
Anne Davenport with Norwegian Fjord, Beyra at the 2001 Horse Show.
It was a sign in King’s Market, “looking for volunteers” that caught Anne’s eye. She and her husband had just moved back from Tokyo and Anne was deciding what to do. “When I saw this flyer, I knew this was something I wanted to do. I have been riding horses, off and on, since I was a little girl and I loved being around horses.” Growing up, Anne’s best friend had a sister with Down’s Syndrome and Anne always enjoyed spending time with them, helping out when she could. So, the combination of horses and therapy at Mane Stream seemed like a win-win! It is the successes of the clients, no matter how small, that keep Anne volunteering year after year at Mane Stream. “Working with the same clients over many weeks allows me to see the improvement. It is really exciting when some clients are able to move from therapy to adaptive [riding].”
Anne has mainly volunteered on the therapy services side of business at Mane Stream and has worked with a lot of wonderful therapists, including Gina Taylor and Melanie Dominko-Richards. “When I started volunteering, Mel was just a little girl and was also a volunteer. I was so shocked when I saw her back at the barn and she was a grown woman, and was working at Mane Stream.”
Melanie Dominko-Richards, Director of Therapy Services MS, CCC-SLP, HPCS was quick to share, "I am not sure who has more fun during a therapy session, the therapy clients or Anne! From her endless supply of Mane Stream spirit wear personalized with puffy-paint, to her endless supply of Halloween costumes, Anne brings so much happiness and joy to each session. However, when needed, Anne is a great horsewoman who enjoys being with the horses just as much. Her attentiveness to their needs and moods on any given day is such a help to therapists."
Anne cannot remember the first year she began volunteering at Mane Stream (our records only go back to 2006, but this photo may have been taken around 2001!), but she does remember when her three-year old son needed speech therapy that was done is a traditional classroom setting and how different therapy at Mane Stream was. “The use of hippotherapy (the use of the horse’s movement during a session) takes therapy (OT, PT, SLP) to a different level. I feel the horse takes them out of the traditional setting and allows them to not even realize that they are in therapy.”
Anne also has the knack of knowing what Mane Stream needs and often before we even know we need it. She’s been known to bring in a brand new western pad, which she purchased from the local tack shop, because… “Mane Stream needed a new one and aren’t the colors great?!” OR “It was on sale!” She’s also been known to take a spare 45 minutes if a client cancels at the last minute to tackle weeding projects. She’s one of those special volunteers who likes to keep busy and the busier she is the happier it seems to make her.
Thank you, Anne for being such a bright light of the organization!
