April, 2021
NCEFT Hoof Beats Newsletter
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EVERYTHING'S COMING UP POPPIES
Letter from Cherie Hammer, NCEFT Development Director
This time of year, you can not go anywhere in California and not see California Golden Poppies cheerily blooming. This unassuming flower’s rise to fame dates to the1890s when Sarah Plummer Lemmon, a prominent botanist and botanical illustrator, advocated for its adoption as the state flower, eventually writing the official bill passed by the State Legislature and signed by Governor in 1903. Sarah moved to California in 1869, and newspapers of the day described her as "one of the first 'intellectuals'" to move to Santa Barbara. In 1871 she established a lending library that became an important cultural center for the city. In 1876, Plummer met John Gill Lemmon, also a self-trained botanist. The Lemmon’s moved to the Bay Area, and co-developed the Lemmon Herbarium at their Berkeley home, later donating it to UC Berkeley. [Source: Wikipedia]
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Sarah’s pioneering spirit and intellectual pursuit of the beauty of nature would have fit in nicely here at NCEFT. Since we resumed therapy and adaptive riding sessions in early February, we have been steadily adding clients back to the schedule. With the warmer weather, sessions have included walks around our Sensory Trail to view spring flowers and our newest sensory station addition – Birdhouse Rock. Another new addition to the NCEFT campus hearkens back to Sarah Lemmon’s legacy: a handcrafted "little lending library" that is a mini-me to our main barn.
I think Sarah Lemmon would have highly approved of all the new projects that have sprung up at NCEFT! Enjoy this issue of Hoof Beats, “blooming” with information and activities!
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Cherie Hammer, NCEFT Development Director |
RISING ABOVE A SUCCESS!
A Virtual Evening of Resilience & Hope
Thursday March 11, NCEFT held its first ever virtual event, Rising Above. The evening and accompanying auction were a great success. The program showcased speakers and NCEFT programs that encourage and help develop resilience in our community. Speakers Amberley Snyder and Dr. Julia Harper inspired and uplifted attendees, exploring how every one of us can harness neuroplasticity and a resilient mindset - as well as use the healing power of horses – to positively impact the mind, body, and spirit. If you missed Rising Above, you can watch a video recording of the evening's broadcast here:
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NCEFT is deeply grateful for the generosity of support from the Rising Above sponsors as well as the many donors who made financial or in-kind auction item contributions. All proceeds benefitted our equine-assisted programs, in particular our newest programming in the area of mental health and resilience. |
NCEFT acknowledges all the following Rising Above donors:
Anonymous
Julie & Randal Abraham
Alondra & Patrick Ammon
Vicki Amon-Higa
Karen Seiko Arimoto-Peterson
Sharyn & Charles Baier
Cheryl Basin
Amy Bayersdorfer
Katie & Eric Berggren
Patti Black
Helen Bohte
Marielle & Blake Bos
Julie Brown
Carolyn Resnick Method of Horsemanship/Nancy Zintsmaster
Ann Cheney
Andrea & Marty Church
Katelyn Cresta
Katrina Deane
Andrea & Christopher Dehner
Robert & Rose Dehner
The Del Gavio Group/Patricia Del Gavio
Bonne-Elise Deshotel
Designs By Siri/Siri & Swathi Chettipally
Carmen DiCinque
DiCinque Schonberger Foundation
Kathleen Dugan & Greg Bell
Steven Elliott
Iain Finlay
Firehouse Bistro/Bill & Lee Ann Gilbert
Monica Flannigan & Zach Sachen
Alexis Flippen
Susan Friedman
James Funk
Felicia Gentile
Daniel Gibson
Golden Gate Sotheby's International Realty/Chris Iverson
Alexander Guntermann
Cherie Hammer
Kim Hansen-Thomsen & Stephan Thomsen
Hint, Inc./Katherine Arthurs
Heidi Ingram
Alexa Knight
Pamela & Chris Kohlbry
Suzanne Lambert
Susan Lang & Robert Levenson
Laura Alman Designs/Laura Alman
Le Travel Cafe/Phoebe Pluchar
Elaine Levenson
Nicola & Derek Liu
Jo Maitland
Cynthia & Sean Maus
Nan Meek
Armando & Karen Muela
Charles & Nancy Murphy
Gabie Noack
Elizabeth Ouellette & Gilles Bouchard
Sid Parihar
Tish Pasqual
Lawrence E. Pelzner & Associates/Larry Pelzner
Sally & Joel Phillips
Jan Pitcher
Rod & Carolyn Rasmussen
Rayn Western Designs/Merilee Raynor
Suzanne Rivers
Roberts Market/George Roberts
Angela Salcido
Charles Schmuck
Schumacher Photography/Eric Schumacher
Mary Kay Sisson
Jenny C. Smith
Linda Stewart
Chris Swan
Dr. Casey Terribilini
The Goff Financial Group/Eva Lejidos
The Simplified Life/Kat Reichmuth
Anne Van Camp & Peter Van Vlasselaer
Marcus Vargas
Waddington Charitable Giving Fund
Donna Wells
Ruth West
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MENTAL HEALTH & RESILIENCE AT NCEFT
Learn More About Our Programs and Workshops
Finally, mental health and resilience have become major topics of conversation and arenas of action in our world. Resilience refers to an individual’s ability to navigate and recover from difficulties. Mental health and resilience skills have become crucial to our functioning in the world and the demand for programs that help people strengthen these aspects of their lives is growing exponentially.
NCEFT offers unique programs to address a variety of mental, emotional, and behavioral needs by incorporating the presence of horses along with other modalities. Research shows that being connected with our natural environment and with animals in conscious, intentional ways has powerful emotional and physical benefits. NCEFT’s Mental Health & Resilience Workshops utilize a holistic approach to provide a well-rounded experience. Activities include journaling, guided meditations, grounding skills, and other creative activities such as collage, drawing, and painting. By participating in a small group, individuals are offered the opportunity to connect with others who struggle with similar issues. Participants leave with a strong foundation and well-equipped toolbox to navigate the ever-changing world.
Watch the video below to learn more about NCEFT’s Mental Health & Resilience Workshops:
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OT INTERN CREATES NEW SENSORY STATION
Birdhouse Rock debuts on the Sensory Trail
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OT doctoral candidate, Victoria Lopez, recently completed her clinical internship rotation at NCEFT under the direction of Alondra Ammon, NCEFT OT. Victoria is a OTD student at Samuel Merritt University (Alondra's alma mater). For her internship project, she created “Birdhouse Rock,” a texture station designed for clients to explore different textures and help with touch sensory processing. This delightful addition to our Sensory Trail compliments the sound and scent stations already on the trail. During a therapy session, clients can ride up to Birdhouse Rock, open the doors and explore a variety of textures and items to touch. Thank you, Victoria, for this welcome addition to our Sensory Trail! |
Clients open Birdhouse Rock's doors to discover a variety of textures and surfaces throughout the box. They might find a few feathered friends inside as well! |
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION
A Message from Bonne-Elise Deshotel, NCEFT Volunteer Coordinator
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April 18th - 24th is National Volunteer Appreciation week, and all of the staff here at NCEFT would like to acknowledge our incredible volunteer community, old and new.
The past year has been pretty quiet due to the
lockdowns, but it gave us time to appreciate and miss the things in life that matter most. As the months went by, we made the necessary adjustments to manage this new reality, and we all waited patiently for the day to come where it was once again safe to re-open. As things start to creep back into normalcy, right off the bat, the response to want to come back and volunteer has been inspiring. It is not necessarily just your time that you commit here, but you have the
heart to serve.
Thank you all for your patience and trust in us
as we continue to navigate this year. Thank you for your continued engagement, whatever that looked like for you. Each of you gives your time and energy without the thought of needing something in return; simply making a difference in someone else’s life is enough. You keep NCEFT moving forward by offering your support, a smile, and caring for our clients. We simply could not
provide our services without each of you.
The staff and I wish to express our deepest appreciation and gratitude. Thank you for investing in our clients and us and not giving up this past year.
As NCEFT gears up to add in more clients, we are looking for compassionate, dependable, and hardworking individuals to join our volunteer community. Interested in volunteering? Please send your inquiries to [email protected], and I will reach out to you when we resume trainings in the near future.
~ Bonne-Elise Deshotel, NCEFT Volunteer Coordinator
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STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Alondra Ammon, Occupational Therapist
Alondra Ammon has been NCEFT's full-time Occupational Therapist since 2019. She received her B.S. in Kinesiology from San Francisco State University, and Master's in OT from Samuel Merritt University. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in OT at Texas Woman's University. She loves working with her kids at NCEFT and especially loves making them laugh! When she's not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family and their new puppy, Mocha-Bella!
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We recently sat down with Alondra and asked her a few questions to get to know her better:
Cherie: Where were you born?
Alondra: I was born in Maryland.
C: How long have you been with NCEFT?
A: Since 2019
C: What's the most unique job you have ever had?
A: I would say working alongside the MetLife Airship (Blimp) as a ground crew is pretty up there. I was able to fly in it twice. Pretty cool!
C: Chocolate or Vanilla?
A: Vanilla all the way!
C: What's your favorite horse color?
A: I love a nice dark bay, but a dapple grey is right up there as well.
C: What is your favorite non-horse-related activity?
A: Cooking! I love to cook for others.
C: iPhone or Android?
A: Android... can't change my mind.
C: What is the last book you read?
A: The last one I finished was The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot. The one I'm close to finishing is The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk. I prefer non-fiction and science-related topics.
C: Favorite cartoon character?
A: Agnes from Despicable Me. She's too cute!
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SUMMER MINDFULNESS SERIES REGISTRATION NOW OPEN Space available! Sign up today!
Our summer Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Webinar Series will begin June 5, 2021 and continue on Saturdays from 11am-12pm through August 7th. There is plenty of time to register for this popular live and interactive series, led by NCEFT OT, Rochelle McLaughlin.
So many of us are feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and disconnected. These webinars offer evidence-based tools, practices, and techniques that enable participants to feel a greater sense of stability, strength, calm, and resilience. Participants will learn to connect to their own inner resources to promote clarity and effective coping skills.
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NEW LITTLE LENDING LIBRARY ARRIVES
High School Community Service Project
Recently, two local high school students chose NCEFT as the beneficiary of their capstone community service project – designing and building a little lending library for our client families. Little did we know the extent of their creativity and attention to detail! The free-standing book cubby is a replica of NCEFT’s historic gambrel-style barn. At the bottom of the post is even a planter for flowers. Thank you, Jenna Costigan and Kayla Schmidt of Sacred Heart Prep High School, for this delightful addition to our Center. And the library is open for business – client families are welcome to borrow a book or two next time you are here on site.
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