Hand in Paw Newsletter - Fall 2018

FALL

2018

GOLDEN The official newsletter for Birmingham’s nonprofit organization improving lives through Animal-Assisted Therapy

The Results Are In! Spinal Cord Injury Study with Spain Rehab Comes to a Close.

Dr. David Schwebel (University of Alabama at Birmingham) and Joan Stelling (HIP Board of Directors) recently completed a multi-year study on the efficacy of Animal-Assisted Therapy as an aid in rehabilitation following a spinal cord injury.

Over 4 sessions of occupational therapy, 31 patients completed either standard rehabilitation activities (control group) or rehabilitation activities integrating a Hand in Paw Therapy Team (treatment group). Those patients in the animal therapy group interacted with Hand in Paw therapy dogs in a wide variety of ways depending on their rehabilitation therapy needs. For example: petting, feeding, placing clips on the dog’s hair and draping necklaces over their necks.

The results revealed a significant effect of Animal-Assisted Therapy on self-reported negative affect. Findings concerning therapy effects on other measures were less strong, but consistently suggested animal therapy may help patients more than traditional therapy strategies.

Continued research is needed on the influence of Animal-Assisted Therapy on mood improvement, stress reduction, and ultimately improved physical health outcomes during rehabilitation after a spinal cord injury.

We are so grateful to Dr. Schwebel, Joan Stelling, Spain Rehabilitation Center, the research team, and our wonderful Hand in Paw therapy teams for making this research possible!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Idie Hastings Vice President Jennifer Buettner Treasurer S. Rachel Goodson Secretary Jimmy Johnson Member at Large John M. Harbert, II Members William Finney Alicia Haynes Marion Marx Cassie Moore Susan Nelms, DVM Deanna Pizitz Joshua K. Randolph Melea Sims Joan Stelling J. Scott Vowell Jim H. Wilson Kimberlea Wilson Danielle Yancey

ADVISORY COUNCIL Alvin Atlas, DVM T. C. Branch, DVM Kevin M. Burke Timothy L. Colbert, DVM, Elizabeth Harbert Cornay C. Merrimon Epps, III Cindy Grant, DVM Sheryl Kimerling Joshua Klapow, PhD. Matt Lackey James C. Lasker, MD Beth N. Leonard Debra Linton Sandy Logan Allen Montgomery Jeff Morrison Claire Peel, Ph.D. Joan Cain Pizitz Douglas R. Rohm John Saxon Lisa Thompson Smith Carol H. Stewart Pete Van Pelt Beverly Virciglio Jerome Williams, DVM Tins Willard, LPN Sheree York

Letter from the Founder Beth Franklin

Thanks to you, this is an exciting time in our history! By year end, construction on our building and new training center should be complete, which will better serve our volunteers and the community. And we are excited to welcome Margaret Rhodes Stinnett, Hand in Paw’s new Executive Director, effective November 1, 2018. Margaret’s skills, experience and commitment will build on our 22-year history and will help us flourish and grow.

Looking over the past two decades, some special therapy visit moments have touched me deeply: •Seeing parents at Children’s of Alabama find comfort in their child’s smile, as they try to cope with the news of their child’s terminal illness or paralysis that will alter their lives forever •Watching toddlers at the Bell Center for Early Interventions work with the therapy dogs to improve fine motor skills, walking, speech, range in motion and standing balance •Interacting with seniors in nursing homes who have lost their independence as well as their pets •Experiencing the life changing 12-week Pawsitive Living sessions, where at-risk youth learn positive life skills, anger management, empathy and compassion – finding hope in a life filled with inconsistencies and abuse •Hearing a child improve literacy skills and self-confidence by reading to a non-judgmental therapy animal HIP Therapy Teams invest so much in programs that build strong bonds and improve mental, physical and educational outcomes. They deserve the support of our staff and donors who are honored to help expand their impact and make a difference in the lives of those others have not been able to reach.

What an honor to work with passionate people to further such an important mission.

Filled with gratitude,

Beth Franklin Founder

New Volunteers

HIP STAFF

WELCOME TO THE HIP FAMILY:

Director of Donor & Community Relations Beth Franklin

Barb Casey + Bogey Karen + Hamlin Krystal Lori

Program Director Emily Crook Director of Volunteers Barbara Cole Director of Research Andie Thompkins Director of Events & Strategic Partnerships Ashley Foster

Lusia + Mooc Miklynn Gerhart Mitchell + Brayan - sadly moving Molly Sally

Director of Communications Brittany Jennings Volunteer & Program Coordinator Stacey Roudebush Technology Administrator Vicki Shay Office Manager & Executive Assistant Lisa McNair

Thank you to the following teams for your dedication to our organization:

Administrative Volunteers Carol Speed Barbara Young

Retired: Jackie + Scotty Moved: Emily + Rocky

Teamwork

Highlighting a Special Therapy Team

Mark Weisenfeld + Zac Why did you choose to volunteer with HIP? I wanted to do something that would take the focus off me during a very painful part of my life. It was a way for me to give back to someone who like myself needed some love!

Where/Why did you get Zac? I got Zac from Adopt a Golden (they rescue and place Golden Retrievers in new forever homes) shortly after my other Golden passed away from cancer.

Why did you think Zac would be a good therapy dog?

Zac has always been a very laid back kind of dog. His temperament is so gentle and loving. He provided me with many hours of comfort when I needed it the most so I thought it would be wonderful to share that with others.

How long have you been HIP volunteers?

Zac and I have been with HIP for about a year and a half.

When Zac isn’t doing therapy work, what’s his favorite thing to do?

Zac loves to be the center of attention regardless of where we are. I take him pretty much anyplace that I can.

He comes to work with me about everyday and he has become the office dog. Zac also loves going to the lake and running wild and free!

Have you had a visit that has been particularly memorable?

I recall one visit I had at UAB Hospital. When Zac and I were on our way out I saw a lady sitting in the hall. She looked very distressed and was sobbing. I asked her if she minded if Zac and I sat on the bench with her. She never said a word but petted Zac for a while till she got up to leave and said a simple thank you. I have no idea what she was going through but if we made even a small difference for her that day I am glad we were there.

FUNDING PARTNERS Hand in Paw employs professional staff to recruit, vet, train, lead, support and retain skilled volunteers; and develops, implements, directs and evaluates structured programs through which volunteers serve. As an independent organization, Hand in Paw saves the local healthcare system funding while maintaining the ability to address other community needs (literacy, violence prevention, trauma and grief response) and serve a range of other entities.

We appreciate donors who enable us to provide Animal-Assisted Therapy programs at no charge to over 100 sites throughout North Central Alabama and Tuscaloosa.

Recent Partners Include: Anna’s Fund Charles T. Campbell Foundation Faraway Foundation The Hand in Paw Permanent Endowment Fund in Honor of Dr. James Lasker by the Good Shepherd Foundation Nelson and Charleen Kemp Foundation Killian Family Foundation John 3:16 Mac & Tosh Fund Matthews Family Foundation Mountain Brook Art Association Remy Fund for Pets and Animal Services Henry G. and Henry U. Sims Memorial Fund Virginia Stockham Ladd Family Fund Mark & Jennifer Styslinger Charitable Foundation Thompson Foundation Susan Mott Webb Charitable Trust Wood Family Fund

Ryder the Therapy Dog Forever in Our Hearts Becoming a Hand in Paw Therapy Team is typically something volunteers do as a way to give back to the community, but often the role becomes so much more than that.

Enter Don and Ryder, a Therapy Team who visited Children’s of Alabama. Their first visit at Children’s was May 9, 2013. Their last was March 22, 2018, a visit requested by Clinic 8 after Don announced Ryder’s need to retire due to his rapidly deteriorating health. In total, Ryder made 207 visits and served over 16,500 people at Children’s of Alabama.

Unfortunately, on April 16th, 2018, Ryder had to be put to sleep.

Because of Ryder’s huge “paw print” at Children’s of Alabama, Don felt that the best way to honor Ryder was to have his remains cremated and his ashes spread in the 7th Avenue entrance to Children’s of Alabama. “It was at Children’s that Ryder was at his best and also had his happiest moments,” says Don.

Ryder Visited Children’s of Alabama 207 Times

The symbolic act was approved by Children’s of Alabama and his ashes were spread on May 3rd. As Don described, “early this morning Ryder and I made our last visit to Children’s, but I came home alone.” Don encourages those that pass by that area to give Ryder a symbolic belly rub in remembrance of him and the incredible work he did there.

“I entered into this program with Hand in Paw as a way of paying back my debt for having so many blessings in my life, but this purpose proved to be a complete failure.

I got so much more out of our visits than what I put into them, and by this measure I got deeper in debt with every visit. … I will never stop missing Ryder as well as the wonderful people at Children’s.”

-Don

Ryder’s Last Visit

Thanks to YOU, We Have an Updated Website!

Hand in Paw is excited to announce the launch of our new mobile-friendly website! What does this mean for website visitors? It means no more pinching and zooming on your phone and a much more intuitive online experience.

Our goal when designing the new website was threefold: improving user-friendliness, making volunteer information easy to find and follow step-by-step, and to update our content to better represent the organization we are today. We think these improvements will help volunteers and supporters alike have a much easier time finding information and interacting with Hand in Paw.

Visit HandInPaw.org to check it out!

All of this couldn’t have been done without you, our dedicated supporters. Your donations enabled us to redesign, program and launch this new website. We truly believe that these updates will make our volunteer recruitment process streamlined so we can train more volunteers and reach more sites in need of our services. We are so thankful for your gift.

Meet Our New Executive Director

Picture Time!

Margaret Rhodes Stinnett Hand in Paw is pleased to announce the selection of Margaret Rhodes Stinnett as its next Executive Director.

The selection was made after an extensive search and selection process. The search committee was led by John Harbert and included Guin Robinson, John Saxon, Tina Currie and Joan Stelling.

Margaret formerly served as Executive Director for the Birmingham Boys Choir, where she was responsible for all fundraising, advocacy campaigns, board reporting and strategic initiatives. In her 5 years with the BBC she helped the organization grow from 72 to 160 choristers and more than doubled revenues. A native of Jefferson County, she began her education at Birmingham Southern College and completed it at the University of California Irvine, with studies in Music and English Literature. Margaret has volunteered and served in non-profit organizations for over 30 years.

Thanks to the UAB Benevolent Fund for their gift. We enjoyed discussing our services with you!

She brings a wealth of information on non-profit management, team building and grant writing. Margaret has 3 children, a dog and a cat, and has experienced the impact of Animal-Assisted Therapy. She is thrilled to be furthering Hand In Paw’s mission.

The Hand in Paw Board and staff are excited about the future of the organization under Margaret’s leadership!

A Special Drawing for HIP

Did you know we serve sites in Tuscaloosa such as the RISE Center?

United Ability participant, Terri, under the supervision and help of her art teacher drew and painted a Hand in Paw therapy dog, Boo. Boo and her Handler, Penelope, have been visiting Terri for over 4 years and Terri has so lovingly donated her artwork to be hung in our new building!

“

Terri and Boo have had a special relationship for over four years and her choice of having Boo be the subject of her drawing was such a testimony to the power of the human/ animal bond we share through Hand In Paw. - Penelope W.

Sadie really enjoyed her Hand in Paw visit at Children’s of Alabama!

617 38th Street South Birmingham, AL 35222 T: (205) 322.5144 F: (205) 322.7784 www.HandinPaw.org

Handle: @HandinPawAL

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PICASSO PETS

Thanks to our sponsors who made Picasso Pets possible.

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JEMISON INVESTMENT

PHOTO BOOTH SPONSOR

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Harbert Management Corporation

DOGVINCI ABC 33/40 Back Porch Seafood & Oyster House (Destin, FL) Barber Companies Ernest Bates & Jennifer Buettner

Creative Dog Training Flemming Transfer Hot & Hot Fish Club John 3:16 Jon & Sheryl Kimerling Dr. Jim & Katie Lasker

Joe Medori Ovenbird Joey Pierson Brian Pitts Thornton, Musso and Bellemin, Inc.

UAB Medicine Veterinary Eye Care XCelHR Bart & Danielle Yancey

PICATSO Alabama Media Group Alabama Power CS Beatty Construction, Inc.

Dog Days of Birmingham Lynn & Benny LaRussa Marion & Edgar Marx Medical Properties Trust

Jeff Morrison ON Services Birmingham Shipt The Westervelt Company

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04.20.19 | UAB CAMPUS GREEN

Eddie & Kay Aldridge Altec Avondale Animal Hospital The Caring Foundation of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama

Cahaba Brewing Children’s of Alabama Diamonds Direct EBSCO Encompass Health Helena Veterinary Clinic

Aspen Lewis Tracy McDaniel Oak View Animal Hospital OB/GYN Associates of Alabama Patton Chapel Animal Clinic

Protective Life Foundation Riverview Animal Clinic Valleydale Animal Clinic Kimberlea Wilson