Posted by Liz Shelley on Thu, Sep 10, 2009 @ 05:22 PM
I have been volunteering at my farm for over 2 years, and simply put, I respect the work and hard hours the staff, students, and volunteers put in to make it all work!
How to be a good volunteer can be easy, but take a look at this and see if you are following good guidelines!
Volunteering is fun and rewarding, but it's also a little more complicated than just showing up and having a good time. Here's some advice on how to make the most of your volunteer work:
Be selfless. Selfless is the opposite of selfish. Don't think about what you can do to help yourself. Think about what you can do to help others.
Be well-trained. Know what you're doing as a volunteer. If you need some time to learn your job, take that time. If you need training or need someone to show you what you're supposed to do, speak up. If you're good at your job, it will be much easier to help others (plus you'll have a lot more fun).
Be dependable. Do what you say you'll do, and do your best. Don't show up late, and always keep your promises. People will be relying on you so you don't want to let them down.
Be enthusiastic. Don't moan and groan your way through your volunteer work. If you really don't like what you're doing, find something else. Always have a positive attitude and show others that you're doing this because you WANT to.
Be open-minded. One of the really great things about being a volunteer is the chance to learn and experience new things. Keep your mind open to new possibilities, and you'll probably grow as a person.
Be respectful. Always remember to show respect for other people and other cultures. Keep in mind that your way of thinking or living is not the only way there is.
Be cooperative. Don't be a "hot shot" or a loner. Don't try to do everything yourself. Work as part of a team to make sure everyone gets a chance to participate and do his or her fair share of work. If someone asks for help, be willing to lend a hand. If you need some help, ask politely for it.
Be understanding. Try to see things through other people's eyes. Try your best to understand what other people are going through, even if it's something you've never dealt with yourself.
Be humble. Humble people don't brag or go around telling everyone about all the good things they've done just to get some attention or feel superior. They're happy knowing that they're making a difference, and don't need to shout about it.
Be friendly. Treat others like friends, and they'll do the same for you. Many people who volunteer meet new people with whom they want to stay friends. You might just meet someone who becomes a buddy for the rest of your life!
'Nuff said!
Posted by Liz Shelley on Tue, Sep 08, 2009 @ 12:16 PM
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Posted by Liz Shelley on Tue, Sep 08, 2009 @ 08:04 AM
This is really interesting-I just had to share this one.
ABC recently ran a story about a camp in Colorado that supports extreme sports for Autistic kids. It's just that-extreme from the outsiders view of using extreme sensory overload for Autistic kids.
This is a bit extreme of a comparison, but I can't help but think about Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer and the fact that he has the same thought process as what Doug Gilstrap states in the article. First you exercise the dog-run them, run them hard and then their resistance is less. Then they can listen and focus more. It seems the same kind of applies with these kids?
It's a simple formula-but extreme sports? What about the overstimulation that can cause HUGE ramifications with Autism? Send a camper off the deep end, or cause them to shut down?
With regards to Autistic kids and adults on a horse and using horse therapy I can see the correlation. Using physical strength to stay on the horse, to be high off the ground, on an animal, and to be learning and having fun. Just not so EXTREME!
It's all good.
Posted by Liz Shelley on Mon, Sep 07, 2009 @ 09:18 PM
Why me? How did I get into this? Why is it that a non-special needs adult with a full life and busy career decided to give time to volunteer with horses, special needs people and learn about Hippotherapy and Equine assisted therapy?
Well-I'll tell you. I took lessons as a child growing up in CT. From there I hack rode. Had friends with horses in the summer, and of course the occasional vacation where horses could be ridden. I took the chance to ride when I could.
At one point in time I did home health care with brain injury patients and followed alternate methods of engaging the brain as part of the rehabilitation work I did with the clients. With a degree in psychology, and minor medical training with the home health care company I adopted an interest in the workings of the brain, and how alternate methods of therapy can be so beneficial.
Jumping ahead to a few years ago, I was working a high stress job and buried in business. I would drive past this farm every day for a few years. I always said to myself-gee wouldn't it be great to ride again? I let myself daydream about having the time and money to ride again and maybe get a horse of my own.
I finally broke down and called one day. To my dismay and to my surprise the farm was a not-for profit farm dedicated to disabled riders and utilizing Hippotherapy and equine assisted therapies to benefit all kinds of children and adults with all kinds of disabilities.
The dismay was that I had been driving by for 3 years! I instantly signed up for the volunteer work.
What an amazing place with amazing staff, and amazing clients. OH and amazing horses!
It's humbling. Everywhere you turn there is someone (an instructor, staff member or working student) putting in their all. Around every corner is a beautiful horse with a very important rider.
I was hooked. There is not enough time to spend there. A couple of hours a week is all I could afford. I went no matter what-as I said. It's humbling to watch all these people who are dependent on others for their care be able to smile, relate, learn and understand and be independent!
I learned the horses (although I STILL can't identify or name them all.) I learned the riders who came in during my times. I learned the amazing skills that the therapists and instructors had. I learned that there was patience and determination within EVERYONE.
I still have so much to learn.
To see the smiles on the parents faces when their kids look at them and say a word correctly, or say "woah pony" and the horse stops is such a great thing to see.
The rewards are huge.
I am still only a volunteer, and go when I can. However-seeing the hard work and determination behind the riders and staff is enough for me to stay hooked.
Posted by Liz Shelley on Mon, Sep 07, 2009 @ 09:06 PM
First-here is a link to the real benefits.
(See the http://www.americanhippotherapyassociation.org/ for more information. Links for evidence based practice are available under \"Research\".)
How I see the benefits:
Robert is a pre-teen. Autistic with no true verbal communication. I am told when he first came to the farm he was incredibly unruly, a bit of a wild child and a real challenge. (screaming at full speed across the paddock with a Tasmanian Devil-like demeanor.)
Fast forward several years, and he is settled into a working routine with his instructor who is working on words and commands with him. I don't know Robert but for our 30 minutes weekly as I lead his horse, or walk by his side, trying to insure his safe passage. I only observe and at times assist with being a target for "hellos".
His instructor is amazing. As I see her interact with him, she elicits this flowing personality of reading him, and what is going to work for him in that very moment. Her training and understanding of Autism and Robert allows her to handle him in any mood. They have a great routine where he grasps the concept of work and reward. Directing the pony to go, using words and signals to be able to communicate what he wants to do. ("First work, then trot" is a favorite plan with most riders.)
I think that the benefits for such riders like Robert, are the ability to understand how work is rewarded, and how work can lead to communication. He still is in his own world of autism, but for 30 minutes each week, on a horse, working with that horse and the movement of that horse, Robert is able to be one step closer to our world.
It overflows to outside of the farm, and the work and reward path helps to lend itself to Robert's ability to function outside of his hidden world of Autism. Parents and caregivers also benefit from the formulas that are put into place with the therapy that happens on the horse. There is so much behind that 30 minutes!
The relationship he actually has with the horse. To thank the horse for the experience, to trust the horse to work with him, and support him. To trust the instructor with what she promises (and HOPES) is a good experience. That the routines learned in that 30 minutes carry over into other routines. Let's also point out that the physical part of riding to an Autistic child (or any child for that matter-special needs or other wise.) The core of the body is used and muscles not normally used are engaged.
The biggest benefit? Selfishly-it's watching him work and concentrate on what has to be done in order to get a flashy toy, or go fast on the horse. The small things, and the devilish smiles he elicits is such a reward for all those involved!