Our 2019 Q2 meeting has completed after three great presentations! We had fifty women come in person and we heard presentations from Girls on the Run, Dial-A-Ride and the Paradise Equestrian Therapy Center. Each shared heart-felt stories of their organization’s impact in our community. It was close, but the vote went to the Paradise Equestrian Therapy Center. If you missed our meeting tonight, instructions on how to submit your check will soon be emailed to you.
Girls on the Run helps young girls shape their emotional and physical growth essential to young ladies with lessons in self-confidence, how to deal with bullies and positive life choices. This summer they’ll impact 160 to 320 girls locally, a third of which will receive some scholarship benefit. Donated funds go to these awards plus CPR training and background checks for volunteers. The 5k this year will be held in Mattoon on November 9th. You can find ways to get involved on their site at www.girlsontheruneci.org.
The Dial-A-Ride program provides public transportation for all ages throughout and beyond Coles County. Imagine a life without your own transportation, being able to run to the store, visit a friend or even get to a doctor’s appointment. Dial-A-Ride provides an extremely affordable option for those who do not have readily available transportation. Last year this program provided 86,000 trips for Coles County residents! Their need now is to raise matching funds for available grant awards. With additional funds, they will be able to employ additional drivers to meet greater demand than their current staff can. Additional information and contact methods can be found here: http://www.dialaridetransit.org/
Our final presentation was from the Paradise Equestrian Therapy (P.E.T.) Center in Charleston, founded for the purpose of providing equine-assisted activities and therapy for individuals with special needs. Therapeutic riding has been proven to help differently-abled individuals with balance, coordination and self-confidence. Students at P.E.T. experience this, helping them grow physically and emotionally. The funds raised tonight will go to scholarships to enable more people to benefit from this program. More information on the Center, upcoming events and ways to get involved can be found on their site: https://www.pethorse.org/.
At our next meeting in July we will hear presentations from charities chosen by:
Mary Anne Hanner
Lynda Nance
Jill Nilsen