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Therapeutic center tries not to ride into the sunset By JOHN DARLING for the Mail Tribune TALENT - For 13 years, HOPE Equestrian Center has been a place of minor miracles - using horses as therapy for special needs children and some adults. Now, reeling from the recession and the shift of charitable dollars to New York since Sept. 11, HOPE itself stands in need of a miracle. "We're hanging in the balance right now," said HOPE director Trish Broersma. "We're looking at a serious deficit and trying to avoid closing." Twenty of HOPE's 60 riders have lost their funding support - about $15,000 - and while regular grants are still coming in, they're coming in smaller amounts as foundations and givers tighten belts, she said. In addition, changes in federal funding have cut Self-Directed Support funding that comes from the federal level through county government. Restoration of these funds is not expected until summer. And usual grant sources have been seriously cut back in recent months, she said. In response to the crisis, HOPE is approaching several new grant sources, including the Ford Foundation of Roseburg, the Bill Gates and Paul Allen foundations, the Northwest Area Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education. Sources of major foundation grants at present include the Carpenter Foundation, Trust Management Inc., Windermere Foundation and Hearts and Vines. HOPE is appealing through direct-mail fundraising for Southern Oregonians to chip in $250 for 10 weeks of private riding or $185 for group riding. For $500, donors can join the Adopt-a-Rider program, which pays for a year of riding. The agency will canvass all previous givers by phone next month. In March, HOPE will assess its progress and, if need be, consider closing, she said. HOPE uses therapeutic riding to bring about "neurological integration" and improve self-confidence and social skills for at-risk or developmentally delayed youths and people with autism, Down syndrome, spinal or head injuries and cerebral palsy. Two-thirds of its clients are children. "We bring about transformations in the lives of people that are kind of miraculous. The rhythmic, complex movements of horses hooks something up and brings about measurable improvement. Dyslexia lessens. People with poor gait or who can't walk begin to walk for the first time. Kids from abusive homes find confidence through a connection with the natural world." About half the riders are able to pay, bringing in $30,000 of the nonprofit agency's $105,000 budget. Another $30,000 is from grants and the rest, $45,000 must be raised from some 2,100 individual donors, Broersma said. "The perception is that HOPE is a great thing, but someone else is going to take care of it," Broersma said. "We're looking for a broader support from the community. People who gave $10 need to give $20 or $30 and go that extra step when things are drying up in our economy." The events of Sept. 11, compounded by recession have "shaken peoples' fundamental beliefs and sense of security," resulting in a weakened stock market. "Anything that affects the stock market is going to affect foundations and nonprofits," Broersma said. "However, I've always felt our work was a real light in the community and I think we're going to find a way to get through this." Donations may be sent to HOPE, P.O. Box 1034, Ashland, OR 97520. HOPE is at www.hopeequestrian.com on the Web. For information, call 482-6210. John Darling is a free-lance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.