With the combination of interactive activities and horseback rides, student volunteers at Stirrups and Smiles changed the lives of children with disabilities. Stirrups and Smiles was a non-profit organization using hippotherapy, a treatment method involving horses, to build trust and stimulate muscle coordination. Several Harding students, including seniors Jessica Denison and Annette Suffridge and junior Jennifer Shrable, became involved in Stirrups and Smiles after a chapel announcement called for volunteers. "Harding has completely supported us from the day we opened the doors," Brenda Davis, operations director of Stirrups and Smiles, said. "All the Harding students that come out here are a different breed in [their] generation. We couldn't have done this without Harding." Shrable said it was amazing to see the children progress and become more comfortable with the volunteers. "I love the kids and love to get them involved with the horse," Shrable said. "I love to see them have fun with the games they play, and I love to see them smile and hear them laugh." Denison said she felt blessed to work with all sorts of families at Stirrups and Smiles. "Getting to know the kids and even their parents, seeing how loving they are towards their kids with a disability, is great," Denison said. "It's amazing to see how well the parents • lA UAfl"~ canter are able to deal with it and how much they are actually helping their kid. Just seeing the kid in a good family is really encouraging, and I loved seeing their improvement, too." Shrable saw her volunteerism as a way to make use of talents she was given for those who may not have been gifted in the same ways. "Most of us were very blessed with no physical or mental challenges, so I feel like we should help those who do have challenges," Shrable said. "The kids are a huge blessing to me. I feel like I'm making a difference in their lives, and they make a huge difference in my life every time I see them." Steve Stark, executive director of the organization, believed volunteering at Stirrups and Smiles gave students the opportunity to receive a style of learning not found in the classroom. "If you're blessed with health and you want to see how little it takes to make a difference in a kid's life, take an hour and come out here," Starks said. "That's all it takes. If you can walk away from here without thinking, 'I need to do something,' that's OK, but rarely do people come out here more than once or twice and not realize the impact they are making and want to do more. The opportunity is here. If you want to see a change, if you want to make a difference, this is one of the best places to do it." Ashley Rosenbaum Qing Ye Accounting Reatta Williams Exercise Science Bethany Wilson Bio Chem & Mol Bio Carissa Woerner General Studies Ashley Wooding Child & Family Sci Ashley Wyatt Psychology Jeffrey Young Bio Chem & Mol Bio Steicy Zamuria Managemen t Finance Xiahua Zheng International Business People MW F 2+3
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==