Adult Day Participants in Lancaster Help Saddle Up Therapeutic Riding Stables
Volunteering is a key part of the schedule for participants in Easter Seals Southern California’s Adult Day Service. Participants head out into the community each day, eager to help other organizations with a variety of tasks and increase their own independence in the process.
In Lancaster, participants have made weekly visits to the Saddle Up Therapeutic Riding Stables for the past several years to assist with maintaining the horses and the property.
Monday through Thursday they exit their shuttle, put on their boots and get ready to take charge of the work that needs to get done.
From walking the horses to raking the arena and filling in ruts to scrubbing and re-filling the water buckets, the Adult Day Service participants make sure all the tasks are completed well before they leave for the day. Some days they have to prepare nighttime feedings for the horses, and they have also planted carrots to help feed the horses.
Janelle Edwards working with one of the Saddle Up horses.
When asked about her involvement with Saddle Up, Easter Seals participant Janelle Edwards said “I learned how to be patient at Saddle Up and I like working with the horses.”
Program Director Nicole Vasquez listed off some of the benefits for participants that come along with their volunteer efforts: “It increases their personal level of independence, helps them learn how to work together with co-workers as a team, and demonstrates the importance of completing a task correctly and in a timely manner with pride in your work.”
As an extension of the partnership, Saddle Up provides Easter Seals with groceries once a month that the Adult Day Service participants use to prepare meals for a monthly dinner for the homeless at a local church – another opportunity for them to give back to their community.
If your organization or business would like volunteer assistance from Easter Seals, please contact us via our website form.
View more photos of Lancaster Adult Day Services participants at Saddle Up.
