Naples, FL – Naples Therapeutic Riding Center (NTRC), a non-profit organization providing therapeutic horseback riding and other equine-facilitated group services to children and adults with special needs, is pleased to announce that Swinging With Purpose™, Inc. increased its investment to $25,000 to help fund the annual costs to provide equine group services to women and children, doubling their contribution from the previous year. Swinging With Purpose™ raises funds for grassroots charitable organizations that serve vulnerable women, girls, and children through various annual golf fundraisers.
Diana Riley, Swinging With Purpose™ Founder, said, “Our goal is not only to raise funds for our beneficiaries, but to also raise awareness that the services exist in our community. We believe in the therapeutic programs NTRC provides and are particularly impressed with their ability to help at-risk women and girls who have experienced trauma in their life.”
The funded programs provide tailored equine-facilitated learning and psychotherapy services to participants from PACE Center for Girls and the Shelter for Abused Women and Children – both charities Swinging With Purpose™ has partnered with in the past. Funds will help cover the costs to send at-risk women and children to their 8-week program. During the sessions they work directly with horses while engaging in a group process to help overcome challenges presented in their lives. The goals are to foster trust, strengthen boundaries, increase communication skills, and build self-esteem and awareness.
The children from PACE Center for Girls learn to address their feelings and improve behavior by being guided through a series of specially designed equine-assisted activities. These activities deepen the student’s awareness of personal issues, core feelings, and areas of bodily tension that inhibit their ability to reach their full potential. Equine-assisted activities promote human development in an experiential format. This is a style of learning that occurs when a person is interacting with the environment, including the people, animals, and situations involved.
The participants from the Shelter for Abused Women and Children work with NTRC’s certified equine specialists and therapy horses to address psychotherapy goals set forth by their licensed mental health professional. The focus of this program is to create a safe place for the client and therapist to engage in activities with a horse, and use the horse to help process feelings, thoughts and reactions. Therapists can observe the participant’s motives, reactions, and abilities through the activities. This allows the therapist and patient to interact on a deeper level and address issues that might otherwise go unnoticed in traditional psychotherapy.
Missy Saracino-Lamont, NTRC Executive Director, said, “We are honored that Swinging With Purpose™ has seen the value of our work and increased their investment in the women and girls whose lives are impacted through our community partner programs. Having them as an advocate for our beneficiaries is the greatest gift. By working together, we can help more people find healing and hope.”
About Swinging with a Purpose
Swinging With Purpose™, Inc. is a 501(c)3 organization that provides support to grassroots organizations serving the needs of women, girls, and children in our community. Through various golf venues, Swinging With Purpose invites golfing communities throughout Southwest Florida to support carefully selected organizations. Swinging With Purpose grants address homelessness, poverty, alternative educational systems for high-risk teen girls, human trafficking, domestic violence, child physical and sexual abuse, teen pregnancies and provide safe havens for this vulnerable population. The organization has distributed close to $775,000 into the community since 2013. Their volunteer board works diligently to keep venue expenses low. As a result, 95 cents of every dollar raised goes to their beneficiaries. For more information, visit www.SwingingWithPurpose.org.
About Naples Therapeutic Riding Center
Established in 1997, Naples Therapeutic Riding Center (NTRC) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization with a mission to improve the lives of children and adults with special needs through therapeutic riding and equine-related group programs. With a dedicated staff, herd of 14 horses and the assistance of nearly 400 volunteers, NTRC provides unique equine-assisted therapies to more than 800 participants per year. Through fundraising efforts, the organization is able to provide this vital therapy to those who need the service most, regardless of income level. Services are provided in partnership with local non-profit organizations and through physician referrals for individuals living with special needs and a range of emotional, learning and developmental disabilities. NTRC is the only Center in Collier County accredited at the “premier” level by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International. For more information on programs or volunteer opportunities, visit NaplesTherapeuticRidingCenter.org or call 239-596-2988.
