News Release
For Immediate Release
SHINING HOPE FARMS RECEIVES $7,500 QUALITY OF LIFE GRANT FROM CHRISTOPHER & DANA REEVE FOUNDATION FOR LIFT SYSTEM FOR THERAPEUTIC RIDING AND THERAPY SERVICES PROGRAMS
Mount Holly, NC (October 30, 2018) – Shining Hope Farms is proud to announce that it has been awarded $7,500 as part of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation’s High Impact Priority and Direct Effect Grants, offered under the Quality of Life Grants Program. The award was one of 66 grants totaling $1,230,983 awarded by the Reeve Foundation to fund a variety of projects and programs to benefit the paralysis community, strengthening the Reeve Foundation’s dual mission of Today’s Care, Tomorrow’s Cure®. Funding for this new cycle of grants was made possible through a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living (ACL).
This cycle piloted a tiered grant approach, with three higher-dollar amount levels of High Impact Priority grants that support key areas of need for the community of people living with paralysis, as well as a Direct Effect tier that is broad in scope and awards grants up to $15,000. The High Impact Priority areas include Employment (5 grants at $50,000 each); Nursing Home Transition (4 grants at $40,000 each); and Transportation, Respite/Caregiving, and Disaster Response, each with 3 grants of up to $30,000 each.
The Foundation received an unprecedented total of over 600 requests, and after a rigorous review process, ultimately funded 18 High Impact Priority grants totaling $679,922 and 48 Direct Effect grants totaling $551,061.
“Through our federal partnership with ACL, we constantly strive to make the Quality of Life Grants Program the very best it can be,” said Donna Valente, Senior Grants Manager. “We are gratified that the new grants structure will help to support ACL’s strategic priorities and honor Dana’s vision and her legacy of caring by maximizing the impact of the grants.”
Shining Hope Farms will use the grant to purchase a lift system for their Mt. Holly location that will allow them to transport clients with paralysis safely on and off the horse. It will also allow them to expand what clients they can serve, as it is currently difficult if not impossible to serve clients of certain sizes or with certain mobility issues as they cannot easily mount and dismount them onto the horse.
“We feel so honored to have The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation supporting our work and the children we serve,” says Milinda Kirkpatrick, Executive Director. “It’s so important to us to serve anyone in need who is seeking services and the lift system that this grant will help us to purchase will make it possible for us to stay true to that goal.”
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About the Reeve Foundation:
The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information, and advocacy. The Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) is the support side of the Reeve Foundation’s twin missions to provide “Today’s Care” and to strive for “Tomorrow’s Cure” and offers a free, comprehensive, national source of informational support for individuals living with paralysis and their caregivers. We meet all 20 of the Better Business Bureau’s standards for charity accountability and hold the BBB’s Charity Seal. For more information, please visit our website at www.ChristopherReeve.org or call 800-539-7309.
About Shining Hope Farms
Shining Hope Farms is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to enable children and adults with disabilities to achieve functional goals through the use of equine assisted activities and Hippotherapy. Hippotherapy is a treatment strategy utilizing equine movement as part of an integrated intervention to achieve functional outcomes offered as part of Shining Hope Farms’ Therapy Services Program, which includes physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy treatment. Shining Hope Farms is the only facility offering this treatment strategy in the counties that they operate in. They are a Premier Accredited Center of PATH Intl. (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, International) as well as the American Hippotherapy Association, and currently operate sites in Gaston, Mecklenburg, and Catawba Counties. There are 20+ horses, 2 miniature ponies, and 30+ staff members consisting of occupational and physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, PATH Intl. certified riding instructors, and administrative staff, plus many wonderful volunteers which make a well-rounded program. Shining Hope Farms is also a GuideStar Exchange Gold participant, a leading symbol of transparency and accountability among nonprofits. For more information, please visit our website at shininghopefarms.org or call 704-827-3788.
Contact
Milinda Kirkpatrick
Shining Hope Farms, Executive Director
704-827-3788 office
shininghopefarms@gmail.com
Rita Gentles
Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
(973) 379-2690 ext. 7123
media@ChristopherReeve.org