Conestoga Valley townlively.com
JANUARY 24, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LX • NO 5
Horses helping heroes BY ANN MEAD ASH
“T
he overall long-term objective is to give people in these fields the opportunity to stay in their fields,” said Jennifer T. Rummel, executive director with Greystone Manor Therapeutic Riding Center (GMTRC) stables, of the new Heroes and Horses program, an unmounted equine-assisted intervention for frontline workers and first responders first held in October of 2023. GMTRC pro gram director Steph Fleck reported that the free six-week program, which meets for two consecutive hours each week, attracted five participants who represented the fields of social work, mental health, nursing, and hospice. Although the program has a 10-member capacity, Fleck said she was pleased it started with a smaller group so that the feedback might be more meaningful. Prior to starting the program, GMT RC sur veyed the local
first-responder community to find out what daily struggles might be leading them to consider a new career path. “We found a lot of ties to mental health (and) burnout,” said Fleck, who noted that GMTRC responded with a pilot curriculum that discussed topics such as setting boundaries, encouraging healthy professional and personal relationships, and effective communication. “Individuals (in these fields) can feel very isolated with what they face and deal with daily,” noted Fleck, who added that activities related to self-talk, self-esteem, and positivity were included. Each participant was assigned a project horse, but the pairs were not chosen randomly. “Often when we introduce (participants), they find a natural and easy connection (with one horse) that is really organic,” said Fleck. “The horses kind of pick them.” As a participant works with a particular horse, a bond develops. “We did a lot of groundwork,
Hospital social worker Brittany Hershey at Greystone Manor Therapeutic Riding Center with her
See GMTRC pg 2 project horse, Emmit
More than cute - a commitment “There are so many things to consider when adopting a pet,” said Damon March, director of operations for Humane Pennsylvania, which oversees the Lancaster Center for Animal Life-Saving on Route 30 as well as the Freedom Center for Animal Life-Saving in Reading. “Those who have never been the primary caretaker, it’s difficult to see everything. We discourage people from making a snap decision.” Different types of pets require different levels of care as do the individual pets, based on age
and a variety of factors, and the commitment continues for up to 20 years depending on the pet. “I wish people would better manage the expectation that they will walk in and find a pet for them,” March pointed out. “Pets are not universal. They have wide-ranging personalities, and finding a good match for you is not always easy.” To foster more successful pet ownership, Humane Pennsylvania seeks to counsel would-be pet owners with questions about lifestyle, time and interest in working with a pet, and expenses. March noted that getting a
Damon March, director of operations for Humane Pennsylvania, holds a cat that is being sheltered at the Lancaster Center for Animal Life-Saving See Humane Pennsylvania pg 6 on Route 30.
BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Human trafficking is happening right here in our backyard, and North Star Initiative is working to expose the issue and support the victims. The organization will host Welcome to the Battle, an event to spread awareness and information about the topic, on Tuesday, Jan. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the LCBC Manheim campus, 2392 Mount Joy Road. T he e vening w il l fe atu re experts from all sectors of the human trafficking field, who will
provide information on the latest tactics traffickers are using, how to identify trafficking and what to do when trafficking is suspected. “We annually host this event, inviting partner organizations to join us to share their programs with attendees and provide a comprehensive picture to our community of the many people who participate in the battle to end trafficking,” explained Melinda Clark, executive director of North Star Initiative. “Along with the displays, we invite experts in the field to a panel See North Star Initiative pg 6
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