Rhonda Kittredge wanted to be among horses after her mother passed away. Volunteering at a barn was an option, but purchasing one was not.
She first volunteered to feed the horses once a week since she was curious and ended up discovering Forward Stride. She claimed she enjoyed the experience and was advised to enroll in a mentorship program to work with young people who have recently been adopted or are in the foster system. This is just one of the several ways the organization has used horse therapy to support disabled individuals and at-risk adolescents.
According to Kittredge, it does have an impact. Sometimes you see these kids year after year, and you can see how much they’ve grown and how much more confident they are now than they were at the beginning.
At Beaverton-based Forward Stride, which primarily serves individuals in the Portland metropolitan region, Kittredge is one of about 190 volunteers. The nonprofit was started in 2003 as a grassroots initiative by Amber Varner, its executive director, and about nine other people who had left a prior group that had disbanded. Varner said she and others volunteered to help establish it for at least three years.
The goal of Forward Stride is to enhance lives via individualized programs based on therapies and activities involving horses. The nonprofit was chosen as a recipient of the 2024 Season of Sharing holiday fundraising campaign from The Oregonian/OregonLive.
> Contribute to the Season of Sharing general fund or Forward Stride. The code Season2024 can also be texted to 44-321.
Varner stated, “That’s the lens we look at.” Does this have the potential to improve the human being’s quality of life?
Its programs are divided into three primary categories: equestrian sports, which include learning to ride and horsemanship; physical and occupational treatment; mental health services, which include equine-assisted psychotherapy; and personal development, which encourages the development of life skills. With about 140 students paying for either group or private instruction, its riding program is the biggest. Both people with and without disabilities can benefit from it.
Working in Tandem is a free nine-month program that runs concurrently with the school year for adolescents aged 6 to 18 who are in foster or adoptive care. One of the numerous volunteers who serves as a mentor for Working in Tandem, Kittredge meets with her mentee once a week for an hour. They are given the same horse for the duration of the program and are overseen by a certified clinician.
According to Kittredge, the youngster or teen leads the session and has the option of brushing, braiding, or grooming the horse. “Being around a horse allows them to take a moment to relax and escape from any anxieties or frustrations they carry,” she said.
According to Kittredge, there are occasions when I meet someone who gets out of the automobile and is irritable, angry, nervous, afraid, or crying. Being around a horse might help them feel incredibly calm and give them a moment to unwind when they’re feeling particularly irritated.
The fact that the mentees have choice in their session is crucial to Kittredge because a large portion of their lives have been outside their control. According to her, the mentorship will only offer stability for a very small percentage of their week.
Varner added that in addition to stability, it’s a place where they can be themselves without fear of criticism.
In 2021, the most recent year for which Forward Stride’s tax form is available, the organization’s yearly budget was around $1.3 million. The majority of the money is used on supplies, staffing, and horse care. According to tax records, the group has experienced significant growth over the past ten years, more than doubling its revenue since 2015.
This expansion has resulted in several organizations requesting their assistance. In 2019, Forward Stride collaborated with Janus Youth Programs to conduct a six-week summer program with residents of MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility. Additionally, it collaborates with the Northwest’s Native American Rehabilitation Association.
According to the organization’s leaders, the additional funds raised will enable them to carry on with their life-changing initiatives, such as those that assist young people who are at risk.
At the moment, Forward Stride employs roughly 34 people, including seasonal, part-time, and full-time workers. In 2021, contributions, program fees, and fundraising activities accounted for the majority of its income.
OregonLive/The Oregonian
What your donation can do
$25: Pays for one hour of at-risk adolescent programming with a licensed therapeutic riding teacher.
$50: Pays for one horse’s hay for a month.
$100: Covers the cost of transporting horses for therapeutic programs to MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility.
For The Oregonian/OregonLive, Zaeem Shaikh writes about criminal justice problems and the Portland Police Bureau. You can reach him on X@zaeemshake or at 503-221-4323, [email protected].
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