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Volunteer Spotlight - Agapé Therapeutic Riding

Each month, the Bloomerang team visits one nonprofit customer to volunteer for a few hours at their facility. It’s our small way of giving back to the missions that our software users support – and a great team-building exercise for our own company culture.

This month, we visited Agapé Therapeutic Riding in Cicero, Indiana. Their sprawling farm offers peace, relaxation and therapeutic companionship between their horses and children and adults dealing with illness, disabilities or other disorders.

The Bloomerang team helped paint the exterior porch and fix up a small bathroom in the stables. We had a lot of fun and definitely got more out of it than Agapé did!

About Agapé Therapeutic Riding:

Agapé is a Greek word that means “unconditional love”. Cheryl Miller and her daughter Dawn were called to share unconditional love when they expanded their enjoyment of horses and love for children by developing a summer riding program for children with disabilities using the therapeutic value of horses to rehabilitate.

As a result of parents’ requests and therapists who witnessed the summer success, Cheryl and Dawn founded Agapé in 1986, but they continued to dream of a year round program. That dream became a reality following Dawn’s tragic death in 1992. After seeking God’s guidance, a farm just north of Indianapolis in Cicero, Indiana was selected for the start of a therapeutic riding center. In March of 1994, Cheryl established a full-time program, serving individuals and schools throughout central Indiana.

Therapeutic horse back riding is a spiritual & enriching experience that brings together horses, volunteers, disabled and disadvantaged children and adults and their families. In an hour of therapeutic horse back riding; self esteem increases as well as one’s general confidence in their own abilities. For one hour a student is transported away from difficulties and enjoys a time of unconditional love.

Therapeutic riding is a growing and widely accepted treatment for rehabilitating a range of physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. Conditions served include: cerebral palsy, spina bifida, neuromuscular disorders, post-traumatic brain injury, autism, ADHD, and cognitive disorders. Riders experience increased self-confidence and improvement in strength, balance, coordination, attention span, language and social skills.

For more information Agapé Therapeutic Riding, visit http://www.agaperiding.org.

Natalie Clifford

Before joining Bloomerang, Natalie was the Senior Corporate & Private Events Coordinator for WhirlyBall and a Yoga Instructor for Orange Shoe Personal Fitness. She currently volunteers as an Adult Literacy Coach for Indy Reads, and has volunteered as a Commissioner for Special Service Area 27 and Team Leader Serve-a-Thon for Chicago Cares. Now as a Community Manager with Bloomerang, Natalie puts her people skills to good use by by uncovering and nurturing customer satisfaction and success. She ensures that our nonprofit customers start off on the right foot to help increase their impact and further their mission. Natalie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing and Public Relations from Columbia College Chicago.