Sponsor of he Month- ICAN

By: Maria Smietana Photos by Liz

Pittsburgh native Jillian Ashton had no problem finding her calling in life.

Fresh out of college 25 years ago, Ashton found herself falling in love with mission-based work. She moved to Indiana and went to work for international fraternity Alpha Gamma Delta. “From there, my career navigated me through a variety of not-forprofits where I managed fundraising events, volunteers, capital campaigns and corporate partnerships,” she said. “I became a volunteer for ICAN around 2002 and fell in love with the mission immediately.”

Ashton served on the board of directors for five or six years before becoming the organization’s chief executive in 2013. “As the only accredited service dog program in Indiana, we unleash possibilities for children, adults and veterans with disabilities, as well as provide facility dogs to trained professionals working in healthcare, criminal justice and educational settings,” she said.

A factor that sets ICAN apart is the group’s large emphasis on volunteer engagement. Over 240 volunteers help stretch ICAN’s limited budget and extend the work of the seven paid staff members. ICAN also set a precedent in the early 2000s by partnering with carefully screened inmates in Indiana prisons to train the dogs. According to ICAN’s website, these handlers have the full-time responsibility, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to care for and teach their dogs the skills needed to become successful service dogs. For many, the results are profoundly life-changing, easing their re-entry into society, and altering the trajectory of their lives post-prison. Currently, there are about 60 trainers across three Indiana correctional facilities.

Ashton’s message for special needs families is this: “Give yourself the grace and patience to experience life right where you are. There is no one, and no bullet-proof way, to navigate your own experience. Only you can know what it is you need, so take the time to discover that!”

She also emphasizes that the family unit is critical to the success of a service dog placement. Since partnership with a working dog can be a 10- to 12-year commitment, she’s grateful to Special Needs Living for helping ICAN connect to the entire team that supports one of their clients.

Ashton lives with her husband in Zionsville, where they raised their triplets. She loves working with Grace, her young Tennessee walking horse, and bicycles for recreation. She and her husband enjoy live music and are involved with Concerts for a Cause.