Thank you for helping our participants bloom!
April is National Volunteer Month where we have the privilege to celebrate the invaluable impact our amazing volunteers have on the lives of our participants and their families. Our volunteers donate thousands of hours each year to make the Mane Stream experience even more special for our participants. These hours are not limited to hands-on assistance in our regular programming but also include those who often go the extra mile to pitch in to help our four-legged friends by mucking their stalls and scrubbing their buckets. While others lend a hand in making our fundraising events AMAZING! And lastly, there are those who tirelessly plan for the future to ensure Mane Stream continues to flourish.
We salute ALL of our dedicated volunteers for their unwavering service to our riders, therapy clients, horses, and the mission of Mane Stream. Without you, we would not be where we are today!
Below are just a few of our dedicated team of volunteers who have graciously shared their stories. Thank you Stellario, Maggie, Jennifer, McKenna, Jessica, and Chip!
STELLARIO
Letting Each Lesson Take Its Course
Stellario D’Urso,
Adaptive Riding Leader
(25hrs. in 6 months)
Stellario chose to volunteer at Mane Stream because he believes in the healing power of horses and the benefit they provide to all around them, particularly those in need. But what keeps him coming back is the joy and happiness he sees on the faces of all the participants. Well, that, and the time he gets to spend with the horses. Stellario says the quiet time while grooming and tacking a horse before a session is his favorite portion of his volunteer shifts. As an experienced horse person, Stellario was immediately comfortable with the grooming and tacking but over the last 6 months, he has learned to let each lesson take its course and to let the dynamic between the rider and the horse unfold with as little intervention as possible.
“We are so glad to have another reliable volunteer with years of horse experience who is also great with our riders!” Kelly Champion, PATH Intl. Certfied Riding Instructor
MAGGIE
THE HAPPINESS TRAIL
Maggie Conroy, Adaptive Riding Saturday Volunteer
(562+hours, 5 years!)
I volunteer because Mane Stream, is so much more than riding lessons. These are life lessons. It is not about winning or losing, it is about learning that doing your best is what is important in the ring, and out of it.
Mane Stream is working hard, learning responsibility, accomplishments, building confidence, camaraderie, teamwork and most of all fun, hugs and smiles, not only for the students but for their families and friends.
The happiness trail travels a long way. All of the staff and volunteers make it happen, and lest we forget, the wonderful horses.
For me, it is all about my nephew, Anthony. Grown now, he was just a little red-headed boy effortlessly guiding a 1,000lb horse through an obstacle course, showing off his 2 point, proudly holding a ribbon in the air. He loved sharing quiet moments with a velvety muzzle and ears, a comforting warm breath conveying a sense of understanding, a connection that is priceless.
For my family, it was about a father and grandfather, sitting in his cozy room far away in South Carolina, holding a book with a photo of his grandson riding, on the cover. We could almost see him turning the pages and hear him saying “Oh boy, look at Anthony on that big horse, oh my.” The pages were full of volunteers guiding Anthony around the ring, of big hugs & high fives all around, for a job well done. Pictures of family on the rail, the pride evident on their faces, eyes swelling with tears to see this little boy, who struggled with everyday issues, up there, on top of the world putting his horse through his paces. A boy, who on the back of this horse, is in control, his face glowing with confidence.
I wanted to give back for all those happy experiences and for how many possibilities were unbridled for Anthony because of them.
I hope all the Mane Stream volunteers can really appreciate the impact they have on everyone involved. The riders, their family & friends, the horses, everyone benefits from our volunteer time, and the Saturday team is awesome! The fun we have on Saturdays stays with me all week :-}
“In addition to Maggie being a dedicated Saturday volunteer for 5 years, she also takes amazing photographs that perfectly highlight all the magic that happens at Mane Stream. Thank you Maggie!” Louisa Bartok, Marketing & Communications Manager
JENNIFER
The Highlight of My Week!
Jennifer Arber,
Saturday Adaptive Riding Sidewalker
(21hrs. in 5 months)
Jennifer started volunteering at Mane Stream last October after reading about us on the internet. I’ve always loved horses and while I didn’t have much hands-on experience, I really wanted to learn and become a part of such an amazing program. I knew from the very first session that I was going to love it! Being around the horses has been incredible, that goes without saying, but what has been truly heartwarming has been the Mane Stream staff and fellow volunteers. Everyone has been so welcoming and kind. As a ‘newbie’ to the world of horses and all the lingo that goes with it, I could not have asked for a better group of people to spend my Saturdays with. Everyone is so helpful and I am learning so much! I also love the riders and their families and look forward to seeing them each week and getting to know them a little better. They are all so wonderful. It is honestly the highlight of my week!!!
“Jennifer is a great addition to the Saturday team! She’s always willing to learn new things and pitch in wherever she is needed. Thank you Jennifer!!” Kayla Thau & Angela D’Alessandro Saturday Riding Instructors
McKENNA
Watching Confidence Grow!
McKenna Douglass
Sidewalker & Header
(48hrs. less than a year)
Volunteering at Mane Stream has been such a rewarding experience for me! I love watching the riders' confidence grow as they reach their goals. Seeing the riders accomplish something new after working hard for weeks is such a great feeling. People should definitely volunteer at Mane Stream if they want to work with awesome riders, staff, volunteers, and horses. I am excited to volunteer for many sessions to come!
“From the very beginning, McKenna committed to a weekly volunteer spot. She is always eager to learn and has become an engaged therapy volunteer who is even willing to sub in when she can.” Emily De Jong, Volunteer Coordinator
JESSICA
I always leave happier!
Jessica Kaiser, Sidewalker
(72hrs. just over a year!)
Jessica chose to volunteer with Mane Stream because she has always loved working with children/people AND she loves being around horses, so this was the perfect combination! She keeps coming back because, “It has just been the most rewarding experience! I love seeing the progress that both children and adults make in their lessons/sessions. It is amazing to see the joy on their faces when they are able to accomplish something new.
When asked what her favorite moment has been over the past year she replied, “There isn’t one specific moment but I do know that it is the highlight of my day and I always leave happier. I have learned so much about how to work with horses, practicing patience and the way in which animals can help us to heal in a variety of ways.”
Jessica wanted us to know that she enjoys sidewalking because she provides support, build connections, and sees the progress from week to week that each participant makes. “I am forever thankful to be a part of the Mane Stream family. I was hoping to be able to give so much to Mane Stream but it has given me so much more.”
“Jess is an integral part of both our adaptive riding & therapy teams and it’s wonderful that I can count on her. She’s also been known to help out with the Girl Scout Field Trips on Friday afternoons too which is extremely appreciated!” Emily De Jong, Volunteer Coordinator
CHIP
Watching the Progression
Chip Quayle,
Therapy Sidewalker
(53hrs. less than a year)
Chip learned about Mane Stream through his wife, Karin, who is an equine massage therapist and friends with Board Member, Linda Dietz. Over the past several years they both have attended several Mane Stream fundraisers as guests, and Chip was always impressed with the organization. So, once he retired it was time for him to check out what it takes to be a Mane Stream Volunteer. Chip also stated that his adult son has Asperger’s syndrome, so he liked that Mane Stream works with kids with a variety of challenges.
We asked Chip what keeps him coming back and he stated, every time I've worked with a therapy client, I can see that they benefit from their time with the horses, the therapist, and the volunteers.
When we asked what his favorite moment was Chip stated, “It's more like a series of moments than just one. I've loved watching our client Dante go from being afraid to get on Minnie during his first session, to in later sessions flashing a BIG smile when he's about to get on Minnie at the mounting ramp and then spending most of his ride "no hands" as his seat improved.”
Chip has also learned firsthand the effect that horses can have on clients. While the horses all have personalities, they don't judge. I've also realized that there are a lot of good people out there who volunteer at Mane Stream (in addition to the awesome employees)!
"Mr. Chip learned the ropes of therapy by jumping in with both feet! His sense of humor and empathy make him a great communicative partner!” Melanie Dominko-Richards, MS, CCC-SLP, HPCS.
