We are so pleased to announce that Shining Hope Farms has received a grant from the Lincoln County Community Foundation to help create affordable access to equine assisted therapies for Lincoln County participants.
It may come as a surprise to learn that we serve participants from 15 counties, Lincoln County being one of them. In Lincoln County, like in many counties, there is a high demand for equine assisted activities and therapies, and we are also acutely aware that these therapies are often financially out of reach for many families, including families that already have considerable expenses for other therapies and services. Our goal has always been to make our programs accessible and affordable to these families and the grant will help us in this endeavor. This is something we know is especially important for Lincoln County families.
This grant will help our Therapy Services Program. Our Therapy Services Program is a medical service in which licensed specially trained therapists provide physical, occupational, or speech-language therapy treatment utilizing equine movement as a treatment strategy (called Hippotherapy) as well as mental health counseling for appropriate candidates. Patients are treated in the natural farm environment as well as in our onsite clinics. The majority of these patients incur no out-of-pocket costs for our services.
The Lincoln County Community Foundation is a regional affiliate of Charlotte-based Foundation For The Carolinas. It was established in 2001 by local leaders to encourage philanthropy and secure resources to address local issues. The Foundation brings together charitable donors, community leaders and nonprofits to make positive impacts in Lincoln County, N.C.
Led by a local board of advisors, the Foundation has awarded more than $340,000 in grants to area nonprofits since inception. In addition to the endowments that support local grantmaking, more than $3.1 million in charitable assets – typically comprised of individual, family and nonprofits funds – are affiliated with the Foundation.