Irene Preston’s Journey to Mane Stream

Irene Preston and Karen Mikita-Kaufhold taking a break in between volunteering at the 2024 Horse Show.

Irene found Mane Stream through her love of dogs. It might seem funny that dogs brought her to Mane Stream, but really it is her relationship with Mane Stream’s Board President, that led Irene to become a volunteer. Karen and Irene became fast friends when they both got puppies, started agility training, and competed together with their pups. They are always each other’s cheerleaders! Fast forward 7 years later, they are still great friends, and now both volunteer at Mane Stream.

Volunteering has always been part of Irene’s life. Previously she served on the board of the Tewksbury Trail Association for about 15 years. Last year Irene was ready to jump back into the volunteering world, and that is when she reached out to Karen. Mane Stream seemed like the perfect fit, working with children and horses is ideal for Irene. With almost 40 hours under her belt now, Irene shared a favorite moment, “A young boy rode past me with a big smile on his face and asked if he was doing a good job.” How can you not go home feeling good about helping?!

Irene also mentioned, “The people I meet at Mane Stream, both staff and volunteers, are amazing. They have been so supportive and welcoming. And their dedication to the participants is inspiring.” When asked what keeps you coming back, she stated, “I think what says it best is that Mane Stream has helped me as much as I have helped all of you. I feel fortunate to be part of this organization.”

And while Irene feels this way, Mane Stream is thankful that her love of dogs brought Irene to Mane Stream. Karen told us “I just knew Irene would be the perfect person to volunteer at Mane Stream because not only does she have the horse experience, but is a kind, thoughtful, and a very sweet person. As I always knew, Irene has become a fantastic, devoted volunteer for Mane Stream. It makes me so happy when we drive together to South Jersey with 7 dogs in the SUV for our agility trainings, and Irene tells me how much she loves volunteering at Mane Stream. She says it is one of the best things she decided to do. I am thrilled that it was a perfect fit for her and cannot thank Irene enough for giving her time to volunteer and help Mane Stream run their programs. Not only do we have a great friendship formed from our love of dogs, agility, and horses but now we have volunteering at Mane Stream together.”