Winter 2014 - Animals As Natural Therapy

TAILS FROM WINDY ACRES
Animals as Natural Therapy
Winter 2014
Volume XV Issue 1
A Life Well Lived
By Sonja Wingard, ANT Director
What gives us life satisfaction ?
If your answer is happy meaningful relationships, how
do we create those? What are the key elements?
As we brainstorm what makes a healthy relationship with the youth who come to ANT, the answer
of course depends upon whether the youth is a ten year
old or a teen… and the teens from the recovery center
step it up even another notch as they have often witnessed abuse by family, peers or while living on the
streets.
As one girl from Visions Treatment Center said
years ago, ―I have never witnessed a healthy relationship before coming here, let alone had one. Not only
have I seen healthy relationships here but I also have
been able to create my own first healthy relationship
with my horse Thunder.‖
Signs of a healthy relationship include: give and
take, honesty, loyalty, honoring the other, helping each
other through bad days and good days; communicating
needs, balancing needs and negotiating, These traits
remind me of my friend Anne.
My dear friend and inspiration Anne Atkeson
passed away in January after an eighteen month struggle to live with full paralysis from a fall off a balcony
when a handrail gave way. Annie‘s obituary speaks of
how she made each person who came into her circle
feel: ―Loyal and generous, Annie had everyone feeling
they were that special friend…. She leaves a legacy of
women and men inspired to challenge their limits…‖
Annie was one of ANT‘s first certified instructors back in 2004. She was keen at organizing our programming but her greatest gift was in the way she
approached each person with deep respect and compassion. She was a no-nonsense woman. She would not
rescue you from a predicament but rather stand beside
you (―Loyal‖) and help you figure out how to fix it.
With this quality she was the perfect ANT mentor.
(a non-profit organization)
Tails from Windy Acres is published at
721 Van Wyck Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226-8789
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
From the Director
1
MH Counselor’s Reflections & ANT Wish List
2
Facing Fear : Lessons form Obrigado
3-4
Volunteering Joys
5
Wonderful supporters
6-8
ANT in the Community/ Upcoming Events
9
The teen women in recovery were her favorites as they needed her no-nonsense approach and
had to discover within themselves their capabilities.
And the teens loved Annie for this. The teen she
was mentoring wrote to her after her fall: ―We were
connected on a lot of levels, about poetry and God
stuff. You have a very special place in my heart and
that will never go anywhere.‖
Yes, Annie knew about meaningful relationships.
My last letter to her:
Annie, you are probably one of the key people why ANT is here today. You made me believe
in myself 23 years ago when I was a single mom
with three kids and a farm and a herd to care for,
not really knowing much at the time about managing land or a farm.
You turned falling-down corrals into a round
pen with a group of us following your lead. You
taught me to get more comfortable with my chain
saw and my tools. You helped me believe women
can do most anything, a road my dad had started me
on but I needed a fellow female to bring it home.
You were one of ANT‘s first certified instructors. You helped us get more organized with
our programming and lessons. You were amazing
with the Visions girls because you let them know
you believed in them.
Thank you Annie, for teaching us how to
live and how to die. You are and always have been
a light…and you always will be a light to me.
My deepest thanks dear one, Sonja
If you feel something,
let someone know that you feel.
Leo Buscaglia
Tails from Windy Acres, Winter 2014
Kaleidoscope
~observations of
beautiful forms
By Lorna Shepardson, MA
ANT Mental Health Counselor
As many of you may have heard by now,
my mother Marda Moore passed away on November
21st 2013. She had been diagnosed with stage four
brain cancer a little over two and a half years ago,
and at that time was given six months to live.
My Dad, four siblings, our spouses, children
and 250 friends and extended family members paid
tribute to her on Saturday January 18th. We were fortunate that mom had her service pretty well planned
out. She asked that someone read the poem ―Do Not
Stand at My Grave and Weep.‖ I jumped at the opportunity to read it for her. In part, I wanted to remind
my friends and family to cry if they needed to, that
emotions are okay to have. As the song It‘s All
Right To Cry says: ―crying gets the sad out of you.‖
Page 2
intention to stay separate on this part of my personal
journey.‘
Rusty can be so sensitive to peoples emotional
states. His anxiety may rise the more anxious the participants become. Then he teaches Join Up. This is an
activity where the lead rope is put-up over his back
and he gets to walk along next to the participant, and
no physical contact is necessary. As they walk side by
side both horse and the human‘s anxiety tends to subside. They mirror for each other relaxed breathing,
trust and confidence and a relationship begins to develop.
You see it‘s a bit of a challenge when the horses know me so well, I have been in relationship with
them so long there is no hiding here. I get to show up,
put on my boots and take a walk with my teachers.
With deep gratitude, Lorna
Marda, my Mom, taught me love and acceptance. It is
with a deep sense of responsibility that I carry and
share these values with whomever I cross paths.
Lorna
captures
a shot of
one of
her
youngest
kids
cleaning
Rusty‘ s
hoof.
In the last five years at Animals as Natural
Therapy I have been provided with many opportunities for public speaking. It‘s hard for even me to believe that during all of my years in school I would
rather hide my shy self than be seen or heard, and I
especially avoided drawing attention to myself. That
was the old me.
What made the shift for me? I know beyond
knowing that the horses have helped me discover my
voice. They have provided me with opportunities to
build my self-confidence, yet stay humble in the lessons they teach me, as well as the lessons they teach
our participants on a daily basis. Sometimes the lesson is not as obvious to me as it is to a horse like
Rusty.
He challenges me to be congruent in my emotional state. How does he do this? He repeatedly and
obnoxiously tugs at my coat sleeve. I have had several opportunities to explain to him that I feel deep sadness, and it‘s not about him or the people we are
working with. ‗I am grieving, I am okay, and it is my
Rusty working with a
veteran on communication and patience.
ANT Wish List
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Good quality horse hay
Business sponsorships for ANT events
Manure spreader
Gutter work
Wood chips, 1 pickup truck load
Gravel for pathways, 2 yards
Used microwave for volunteer room
Tails from Windy Acres, Winter 2014
Facing Fear :
Lessons from Obrigado
Page 3
Obrigado proves himself a therapy horse
By Sonja Wingard
By Roz Anderson
Horse Activity Manager/Instructor
Several years ago when Sonja and Eugene were reunited
in friendship and realizing that the ANT journey would be
a BIG part of their lives, they came across beautiful Obrigado, a young Arabian/ Pinto, needing a home. Together
they made a commitment (first of many to come) to purchase this horse (teacher). Much to question… and questions often bring fear. Together they took him on with the
best intent for him and ANT‘s future.
The original ANT herd is aging, yet the need for
ANT continues to grow. Enter our trainer, Trisha - also
young with energy and enthusiasm, much like Obi. Trisha
was on the spot to ‗prove/show‘ her ability in front of people she did not know, on a horse she had never met - (high
anxiety for sure).
Soon Trisha met Obi and used a lot of groundwork
lessons to help him overcome fears of things he might encounter while in the human world…umbrellas, bells,
drums, ropes rubbed all over him, tarps, whips being
cracked and yet not hurting him. Then he learned to be
saddled, stand still while a human climbs ON HIS BACK
again and again, and how to cope with all those other
frightful things now with a human on top of him. Obi
proved a willing learner, moving through his walk, trot
and canter with saddle and rider. A lot to balance!
This past year Trisha and Obi passed the Police
Horse Training Clinic along with Sonja and Moonshadow.
Slowly Obi was introduced to work with/teach carefully
selected ANT participants. He is still young, and as most
horses, prefers to feel confidence from the human he is
with. Some programs consider a horse to be a tool to use,
however ANT teaches the horse/human relationship is a
partnership - both sides learn from the other.
In the Portuguese language
Obrigado means THANK YOU.
Sonja‘s exchange student Eugenio from
East Timor wanted to name the horse
Obrigado, which seems an appropriate
name for a therapy horse. All at ANT
feel thanks towards Obi, what follows
is just one example why.
Obi with Trisha and Sonja‘s great
niece Petra at a 4-H fun show
It was a cold November night and the
younger kids had gone home. We had a fifteen year
old who had picked Obrigado only a couple weeks
earlier to be his horse. I wondered about the wisdom of this combination as Obi is still rather green
and the boy was really green. He is from a foster
home and was sent to ANT by an agency. I didn‘t
know much about his history, I really didn‘t need
to, as I liked him from day one.
During check-in on this particular evening
he had shared he had a rough day at school…no
details offered. Our evening plan was to let a teen
who had been coming to ANT for a long while get
his horse ready to ride; and my plan for this new
young man was for him to get to know horses better, get more comfortable
around them and especially to build a trusting relationship with Obi before
riding him someday.
Continued on next page
2014 Board of Directors
Jennifer Camfield
Art Spring
Don Early
Al Korelin
Robert Bystrom
Coly Spring
Board Advisors
Carletta Vanderbilt, M.D
Anastacia Metcalf
Jasmine Minbashian
Casey Keenan
Ellen Howard
We truly appreciate your
hard work and dedication!
Tails from Windy Acres, Winter 2014
Obrigado proves himself a therapy horse
Cont’d from page 3
Let me set the scene:
We are in the grooming barn and Obi has hay in
front of him to eat; but as the boy starts to groom, Obi
seems a little restless. So I suggest we take him to the
round pen so he can let off any excess energy. The
young man leads Obi into the round pen and I accompany them. Then I show the boy how to remove Obi‘s
halter and the horse moves off away from us to do his
thing. We stand in the center to observe, I am holding
the halter and have the lead ready to swing if needed to
establish our space.
Then Obi proceeds to go a little crazy. He races
around the round pen and kicks his heels up, darts this
way and that across the middle of the arena, sometimes
only about ten feet from us; just far enough away that I
don‘t feel I have to take action, but ready to establish
our boundaries if needed. I teach the young man to continually move with the horse, to not take his eyes off
Obi so we are ready to protect ourselves if the exuberant horse comes too near to us.
This display of might and energy is big and the
boy standing beside me, well, his eyes get bigger and
bigger. I feel it and glance to see the fear in his eyes. It
is tangible. Just as suddenly as Obi had gone joyfully
running freely and crazily around the pen he shifts and
suddenly runs to the gate of the round pen and tries to
push his way out. He runs back and forth along about
thirty feet of fence where the gate is. He throws his
chest at the wooden fence a few times as if he hopes he
can bust his way out.
I calmly share with the boy that Obi is now
afraid. With no blame or shame I matter of factly say
Obi has picked up your fear and really wants out of
here. He figures if you are afraid then there must be
something to fear and he needs out.
I said ―Maybe at school today... you said you
had a bad day…maybe you felt like getting out of
there?‖
He answered he actually had run away from
school today and added that his foster mom was going
to be really mad at him that night when he got home. I
asked him if he is allowed back on Monday and he
said, ―Yeh , my teacher says that‘s a new day‖ I told
him he was lucky to have a teacher like that. and asked
Page 4
I asked him if he has any reason to have other
than F‘s. He said yes because he wants to be a welder.
I was happy to be able to tell him the story of a
young man of 20 who came by recently to tell me he is a
successful welder now and then told me how he remembers the day our horse Babes helped him turn his life
around. I added that I think Obi will help him gachieve
his dreams too. A glimmer of hope moved across the
boy‘s face, looking like he wanted to believe me.
Then I said maybe we can help Obi cope with
this fear. Let‘s do some deep calm breathing, in our nose,
out your mouth. Let‘s see what we can do. We started
slow deep breathing in sync and slowly Obi slowed his
frantic racing down to a walk. Then he finally stopped
and looked at us from the gate and calmly walked over to
put his head to the boy‘s chest, the boy reached out and
stroked Obi‘s face.
I told the boy he was now going to put the halter
on this recently-wild guy and talked the boy through the
process as he put the halter on. Still somewhat stunned,
the boy led his horse, with just enough confidence to
maintain control, out into the barnyard and gave him his
evening treat before leading him back to his paddock.
At the end we always process: The boy‘s take
away went something like this: horses mirror what is going on with you; stand beside someone who knows what
they are doing when in a scary situation; you are capable
of not only calming your own terrors but also that of a
thousand
pound
horse.
Ten days later I spoke with the boy‘s caseworker.
She said she had worked with this boy for three years
and seen no progress. But last week he had met with his
school counselor and signed himself up for his very first
class ever in the regular school curriculum. He had started seeing himself as capable of handling himself and
new challenges. Way to go Obi!
Tails from Windy Acres, Winter 2014
PROGRAM UPDATES
Page 5
VOLUNTEER UPDATES
Abby Soley, Volunteer Coordinator
Our Volunteer Appreciation Party,
hosted by Sue and Dean Swanson in November, was a
fun evening of sharing stories, unknown facts about
yourself, and meeting all the different personalities
from the various support teams that make ANT a shining example of volunteerism in the community. Twenty
-five persons attended.
Family Volunteering:
Leah, Lauren, Michele, Einar, and Leif Ketillson after
completing the refurbishing of the horse trailer.
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The horse trailer has been refurbished: rust removed, welds re-done, holes patched and a new
paint job. What had been estimated as a $4000
refurbish job was completed by the Ketilsson family and Mark Bjorklund (painting) as a donation
and no cost to ANT! An inheritance from Sonja‘s
parents seventeen years ago bought this trailer
which ANT has used for fifteen years to haul
horses to day camp trail rides, the veterinarian office, fundraisers, parades, nursing homes and
many other activities over the years. With this
new paint job it should be ready for another fifteen years. We are hoping to build a cover for it in
the near future.
Trainings: Congrats to Susan Lewis who completed her PATH International instructor certification
last fall and is our Volunteer Trainer and Instructor. Eileen Turk and Sheila Lane are long-time
ANT volunteers who are in the process of getting
their instructor certification.
Joaquin Aguirre and Lorna Shepardson, our mental health staff, received additional training in the
EAGALA model thanks to a grant from Whatcom
Educational Credit Union. We are really blessed
to have high caliber dedicated people working at
ANT!
Nancy Smith volunteered the most hours for
2013 with 554 hours logged! Also in the 200+ club
was Jean Hoene 447, Carl Mueller 436, Susan Lewis
294, Sheila Lane 257, Monique Stefens 235, Heather
Brown 225, Sue Aguirre 222, Eugene Pasinski 212 and
Nick Cunningham 201. We could not do this without
all of your wonderful love and care for our critters and
our participants!!
Our Annual Strategic Planning Retreat was attended by twenty- four people: staff, board and volunteers at the home of Michele and Einar Ketillson in
January 2014, establishing ANT teams to create the action steps needed for the growing momentum of our
ANT Vision.
Speaking of wonderful people we want to thank
our dedicated staff: JoAnn Howe~ Office Manager, Abby Soley~ Volunteer Coordinator , Susan Lewis~Volunteer Trainer and Instructor, Lorna Shepardson~MH Counselor, Joaquin Aguirre~ MH Therapist,
Roz Anderson~ Horse Activity Manger and Instructor,
Rachel Gordon Ball~ morning feeder, Sonia Baranek~
facilities, and Trisha Pendleton~ horse trainer, Amanda
Martin ~Instructor, and Sonja Wingard~ Director.
AND our wonderful Opportunity Council helper
Melissa who helps immensely with everything including this newsletter!
Bid on great
treasures at our
upcoming Gala
March 8th,
2014
Tails from Windy Acres, Winter 2014
A huge Thank you
to our wonderful
donors!
Cliff Adams
G. Elaine Albright
Diana Ambauen-Meade
Roz Anderson
Kristi Andrews
Alfred Arkley
Michael Arndorfer
Susan & John Arrigoni
Mark Asmundson
Amali Attygalla
Marlene M Ayala
April Baetz
Kathleen L. Bailey
Kevin B Barber
Michael Barclay
Clarice Barnett
Kristen Barron
M. E. Barton
Matthew Bayley
Eric Beardsley
Lesli Beasley
Christy Bell
Glenn Bice
James Billigmeier
Jeanie Birchall
Janice Bird
Kara Black
Ben Blainedavis
Deborah Blockley
P J & W H Boos
Wendy Borgesen
Kim Boyd
Scott Boydon
Barbara Breckenfeld
Olga & Richard Brobyn
Cindy Brooks
EJ (Jodi) Broughton
Anne Brown
Cindy Brown
Leta Brown
Virginia Buchanan
Sarah Bumgarner
Paris Butisbauch III
Bob Butler
Robert Bystrom
Gina & Steve Chastain
Hazel Chausse
Cayce Chearis
Shakti & Michael Chionis
Amanda Chomos
Lisa Chovil
Cozette Cichy
Richard & Karen Clark
Julia Clifford
Gracie Close
Margaret Clumpner
Janis Coe
Lee & Prentiss Cole
Bella and Travis Connell
Gerogianne Connell
Stephen Connella
Linda Conroy
Berna Cooper
Dominique Coulet du Gard
Dorothy Courtis
Anita Cunningham
Elizabeth Cunningham
Mary Curran
Marilyn Dager
Gerri & Robb Dale
Faye Daly
Darcie Davenport
Pamela Davies
Juanita Davies
Elizabeth Davis
Samra Davis
Tom Day
Catherine Dayhoff
Roberta DeBoard
Joleen Delano
Gary & Geri DeZarn
Thang & Laurie Do
Jenny Dove
Ginny Dye
Thunder sees painting of himself
by Kate
Vernon & JoAnn Dykstra
Don & Cindy Early
Jim & Mary Eastwood
Kirk & Kirsten Eid
Teresa & Thomas Eiden
John Ellenberger
Jesica Ellis
Liana Elmaliah
Wendy Elsner
Wendy Ermold
Ashley Engel
Joy English
Tom Ensign
Ali Erickson
Nancy Weert
Anne & Mark Ewing
Shalyn Fairbank
Elizabeth Falta
Richard & Susan Ferguson
Minna Fielding
Page 6
Darrell & Cynthia Flora
Michael Flory
Dianne Foster
Nancy Pelham Foulke
Patricia & Thomas Freeburg
Kyaira Froehlich
Barbara Fuller
JoAnna & Rich Fuller
Carol Gavareski
Ellie & Joe Getchius
Nancy & Moheb Ghali
Barbara & James Gillies
Blakely Gillies
Asher Gimness & Lauren
Smith
Phyllis & Byron Gimness
Terrell & Colleen Goertz
Frank Goldman
Hilary Goode & Karl Mariotti
Greg Grant
George & Sara Gray
Gina Green
Rebekah Green
Roger Green
Joanne Greenberg
Evelyn Guilmette
Elizabeth Gwin
Michael Haberman
Terri Hackett
Christopher Hager
Chris Hailey
Dana Hanks
Burl Harmon & Nanette Davis
Genese Harney
Carmen Harris
Catherine S Harris
Clarice Harrison
Linda Hart
Terry Hartnell
Kyle & Sarah Hatridge
Sylvia & Mike Hayden
Danny & Julie Hayes
Kate Henze
Megan Herr
Joel Hill
Robin Holbert
Laurel Holmes
Bill Honcoop
Jan & Jim Horn
Ellen Howard
Kathleen & James Hudson
Tristan Hurlbert
Kathleen Israel
Valerie James
Marguerite Johnson
Lori Ann Jones
Marie Therese Jones
Teressa C K&ianis
Nancy Kaye
Casey Keenan
Patricia Kelly
Elizabeth Kemp
Nancy Kempf
Edris Kenan
Earlene Kent
Brita & Peter Kiffney
Robert & Mary Lou Kirkham
Natalie Klco
Richard Klemm
Dale Kloes
Kathy & Al Korelin
Stephanie Korelin
Kim Koyamatsu
Teresa Krantz
Kelly Krieger
Jenny Kubic
Kris Kurtis
Wayne & Linda L&is
Danny & Lee Langdon
Obrigado and Moonshadow at
Police horse training
Daniel Larguier
Bill & Dawn LaTurco
Hope Lawrenson
Ryan Leckie
John & Vanessa LeMaster
Cuquita Lindsey
Timothy & Bessie Lintz
Lucia Lohse
Kelly Long
Patricia & Roger Long
Joe & Chris Luma
David & Tisch Lynch
Jean MacGregor
Rabia Magnusson
Sally & Kevin Majkut
Ken & Amy Mann
Nancy Mariotti
James & Lorisa Marshall
Amanda Martin
Jon Martin
Marsha Martin
Lilian & Ken Marzocco
Michael Massey
Marilyn Mastor
Kevin & Kathleen Mayock
Heather McAleer
Kathleen & Kurt McCrady
Christopher McCullough
Michael McCune
Tails from Windy Acres, Winter 2014
Page 7
Wonderful Donors: We could not do this without you!
Shannon McCuneDickerson
Lynne McCutchen
Lynn McKinster
Marilee & Patrick McKnight
Matthew McKnight
Gail McLeod
Susan McMonagle
Cheri Mead
Cole Melcher
Terri & Mike Melcher
Ann Menzies
Anastacia Metcalf
Jill Miller
Judy Milton
Jasmine Minbashian
Alene & Gary Minetti
Sonja J Moon
Helen Moran
Max Morange
Amy Mosher
Carl Mueller
Margaret & George Mustard
Shenandoah & Brian Myrick
Patricia Navarre
Danne Neill
John & Larie Nelson
Donald Olson
Dr. Bob Olson
Susan O'Malley
Paul & Nancy Orlowski
Shirley Osterhaus
Carol Ouellette
Elizabeth Paley
Spiro & Gail Pappacostas
Bob & Betsy Patton
Marlene Payne
Trisha Pendleton
Richard Perth
Janet Peters
John Peterson
Cindy Piccolo
Craig Pikula
Susan M. Porter
Sandra Potter
James Prendergast
Cynthia Purdy
Pamela Randall
Janise & Jonathan Rands
Tessa Rawitzer
Karen Reed
Richard Reese
Joann Reider
Kelli Reilly
Leo Remington
William & Bernice Renner
Marguerite & John Rietz
Buckley Robertson
Janice Roehl
Barbara Rofkar
Louise & Bill Rol&
Maja Russell
Lyann Rust
Paul & Stephanie Sadler
Debra Salazar
Terry Salzmann
Jana Sanabria
Doris Scharpf
Lou Scharpf
Amy Schilder
Mark Schofield
Audrey Schroeder
Brett Schug
Tessa Scott
Sarah Sebat
Anne & Fred Seeger
Martha Shepler
Lora Sherman
Mary Ellen Shields
Barbara Siemion
Michele Siemion
MAnne Slater
Tina Smiley
Carter Smith
June Smith
Wendy Smith
Susan E.Snortland
Abby Soley
Sarah Spinks
Rosalind & Richard
Spitzer
Jennifer & Jared Spoelstra
Liberty Sponek
Art & Coly Spring
Chris Squires
Lucinda Stafford
Judith Stahlbush
Oral Staman
Riley Starks
Monique Stefens
Julie Straight
Craig Swanson
Dean & Sue Swanson
Sherry Thompson
Marie & Harry Tiemersma
Sara Todd
Katherine Torious
Eileen or David Turk
Cindy Tuttle
Donn Tuttle
Jean Tuttle
Linda & Gary Vander Giessen
Carletta MD Vanderbilt
Bethany Verner
Robert Viens
Grace Villareal-Bob
Bobbi Virta
Ann Marie Wadnizak
Robert & Darlene Wagner
Tyson Waldo
David Wallentine
Karen Walter
Richard Ward
Briddick Webb
MacKenzie Webb
Ann Welch
Aubrey & Hannah Western
Victoria & Peter Wilhelmsen
Susan Willis
Susan Windnagel
Jim & Cindy Wingard
Sonja Wingard
Gini & Tom Wingard-Phillips
Adrian Wolfe
Erica Wolverton
Alice Ann Yancey
James Zielinski
Barbara Zielstra
Tibb Zollatz
ANT thanks our
Business Donors
20th Century Bowling
2nd Ave Sports
4 Stars Boutique
A New Life AFH
AAA Washington/Inland
Alaska Airlines
Alpaca Yarns
Angel of the Winds Casino
Anthony's Restaurants
Anvil Corporation
Appliance Depot
Avenue Bread
Bank of the Pacific
Barb's Cake & Pies
Baskin Robbins
Bay to Baker Trading Co
Bead Bazaar Inc
Beauty in the Bead Shop
Bellair Airporter Shuttle
BelleWood Acres
Bellingham Appliance Repair
Bellingham Athletic Club
Bellingham Baby Company
Bellingham Beauty School
Bellingham Flatbread & Bakery
Bellingham Reflexology
Bellingham Theatre Guild
Big Dipper Wax Works
Big Fat Fish Co
Billy McHale's
Blessings Salon Spa
Borthwick Jewelry
Boundary Bay Brewey
BP Fabric of America Fund
Bratz in Vogue
Breadfarm Inc
Brenthaven Retail Store
Buyer's Market
Cambia Employee Giving
Carol's Cake Designs
Cascade Pizza Inn
Chevron Humankind Matching
Gift Fund
Christopher Burton, DDS
Chuckanut Brewery
Church of the Assumption
City Dog Grooming
Clark Feed Store
Coeur d'alene Casino Resort
Coffee Junction
Cold Stone
Combined Fund Drive
Community Food Co op
ConocoPhillips Co
Costco on the Guide
Cresswell Boggs
Cupcakes Like It Sweet
Dairy Queen Lynden
Dakota Creek Winery
Darrell Stewart & Co - costumer
Dave Lucas Gallery West
Diamond Jim's Grill
Diana's Ultimate Truffles
Diehl Ford
Dog on Fire
Dominos Pizza
Doris Jean's Bakery
El Gitano Resturant
Fairhaven Bike & Ski
Fairhaven Gold
Fairhaven Pharmacy
Fairhaven Rug Gallery
Tails from Windy Acres, Winter 2014
Fairhaven Runners & Walkers
Fairhaven Toy Garden
Fairhaven Village Inn
Fairway Cafe
Ferndale Kiwanis
Find Your Fashion
Five Guys
Floralescents
Franz Family Bakery
GoodSearch
Grants Burgers
Great Harvest Bread Co
Haggen‘s
Hamann's Gallery & Gift
Hamster Endurance Running
Hannegan Farm and Home
Hardware Sales Customer
Hecht's Aesthetic Center
Heidi's Heavenly Handbags
Hempler's Food Group LLC
Heritage Flight Museum
Hot Dogz & Kool Katz
Hotel Bellwether
Icy Strait Seafoods
Internatiional Autohaus
International Athletic
Ironman Movers & Storage, Inc
Island Mariner Cruises
Jiffy Lube
Kelly's O‘Deli Catering
Kichiwa, A'Channa
Kulshan Brewery
L & L Salon
Lake Partners Strategy Consultants
Laura's Creative Attic
Les Schwab Tire
LFS Marine Outdoor
Lynden Nutrition Center
Lynden Wine & Spirits
Mallard's Ice Cream
Maplewood Animal Hospital
Math 'n' Stuff
Maya's Whale Watching
Mayberrys
McKays Variety
Microsoft Matching Gifts
Moka Joe Coffee
Mount Baker Theatre
Mount Bakery Cafe
Mt Baker Lanes
Mt Baker Ski Area
Page 7
Nettles Farm
North Fork Brewery
Northwest Sky Ferry
Northwest Sleep Solutions
Northwest Washington Fair
NSEA
NW Handspun Yarns
O"Reilly Auto Parts
Old Fairhaven Wines
Old Gold Tattoo
Old World Deli a
Otion
Outdoor Pet Houses
Par Yacht
Peoples Bank
Portal Way Farm & Garden
Quickdraw String Band
Rector's Vacuum
Redpath Studios
Renate's German Restaurant
Roger Jobs Motors
Roll n Smoke
Rudy's Pizza
Rusty Wagon Restaurant
Samson's Estates Winery
Samuel's Furniture
San Juan Cruises
Sanitary Service Co
Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club
Serendipity
Shrimp Shack
Shuksan ECF
Silver Reef Hotel Casino & Spa
Spark Museum
SPIE
Sportsman Chalet
St. Brendan's Anglican Church
St. Francis Gift Shop
Starbucks Coffee
Juan the therapy
rooster and Toby
visit Portal Way
Feed Store in
December
Like Animals as
Natural Therapy
on Facebook!!
Please visit our Facebook
page to LIKE us and spread
the good news about ANT and
Invite your friends!
Fill a table, fill the dance floor
March 8th Great Gatsby style fun.
Champagne cocktails
Chocolate extraordinaire
Win Alaska Airline tickets
ANT’s 4th Annual
Evening of Hope Gala
Celebrate our Shining Stars
Steve Huber Guide Service
Swinomish Casino & Lodge
Taco Time
The Bagelry
The Comics Place
The Crossing
The Grace Cafe
The Market
The Nuthouse Grill
The ReStore
The Uppercut Salon
The Willows Inn
Threshold Documents
Thrivent Financial for LutherWe THANK
ans
Tony's Coffee House
the Foundations
Totally Chocolate
that support our youth!
Trader Joe's
TurdeeTote
Turner Photographics
Ciel Foundation
United Way of Skagit County
Discuren
Charitable
United Way of Whatcom
Upfront Theatre
Foundation
Vital Choice Wild Seafood &
Dorothy Collins Brown
Organics
Washington State Quarter Charitable Fndn
Horse Assoc
Quil Ceda Village
WECU
Wee Ones Reruns
The Equus Foundation
Whatcom Family YMCA
Whatcom Farmers Coop - The Minneapolis FounFerndale, Bellingham
dation
Whatcom Humane Society
Whatcom Volunteer Center
WECU Social ResponWhatcom Windshields
sibility Committee
Whimsey
Willands Tech Auto
Whatcom Community
Woodland Park Zoo
Foundation
WOW Hair Salon
Henry Jansen FoundaWWS Board Shop
WWU Associated Students
tion
Tails from Windy Acres, Winter 2014
Page 9
ANT Out and About
in the Community
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Sonja enjoyed sharing our ANT story with
Ferndale Kiwanis Club in the fall. What
great service groups we have in our community doing amazing work!
The Healing Hearts Breakfast in November
was an inspiring morning with 120 guests,
yummy food, lovely decorations made up of
quotes from our teens in recovery and an
inspiring talk by the teacher of the BRIDGES high school program ANT has worked
with for six years. Thank you wonderful
donors for making our work possible!!
We thank Portal Way Farm and Garden and
Whatcom Farmers Coop for hosting our Fill
Our Boots with Happy Feet campaign and
posting our Christmas wish lists in their
stores during December. We thank all the
people who came by to say hi, meet our
therapy rabbits, meet Ebie the new Polish
therapy rooster who was riding on Persephone‘s (mini horse‘s) back and give donations!
We sincerely thank Bellingham Unitarian
Fellowship for inviting our board member
Robert Bystrom to speak to their congregation on February 9th and for their wonderful generosity.
Sonja Wingard, ED, is on The Whatcom
Report –February 9th,
KGMI Radio
NewsTalk 790 interviewed by Mary Kay
Robinson. There is a podcast of this on our
Facebook page.
Shuksan Middle School youth will be the
first to participate in our pilot program for
Leadership/ Bully Prevention this February,
thanks to a wonderful grant from the Discuren Foundation.
ANT‘s 2013 Income and Expense Charts
For our $ 272,000 budget
Huge thanks to our donors!!
Sucia at 2013
Blessing of the Animals
Healing Hearts
Breakfast
Upcoming Events
for Your Calendar;
Hope to See You There!
March 8. 2014
―An Evening of Hope‖
Gala at Hotel Bellwether
April 26, 2014
Blessing of the Animals
at ANT
Pooch Scoot—community
fundraiser for ANT
April 27, 2014
If you are an eligible
Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans member and
have Choice Dollars® to
direct, please keep us in
mind. To direct Choice
Dollars, call 1-800-847-
May 17, 2014
The Human Race
June 7, 2014
Volunteer Orientation and
Training
July 12, 2014
ANT‘s Bluegrass Bash
Like Animals as
Natural Therapy
on Facebook!!
In 2013
Lives directly impacted by their ANT experience:
Youth Served: 393
Teen girls in recovery: 45 (Visions)
Safety Net: 201: Year-round youth empowerment
102
Day Camp youth: 50
Kidz Dayz youth 20
Grief center 14
Shelter youth: 15
Leaning Life: School programs: 147
Adults Served : 316
Intergenerational: Elders visited 265
Interns & student teachers 23
Parents/guardians of participants 24
Veterans: 4
Community Events: A few thousand community
members met our ANT therapy animals at WWU
events, the Ski to Sea race, and other venues
Animals as Natural Therapy
721 Van Wyck Road
Bellingham, WA 98226
NON PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT NO 106
BLAINE, WA
Visit our website
www.animalsasnaturaltherapy.org
for more information on the services we offer,
to be inspired by past newsletters
or to order newsletters by email.
Please patronize the many businesses who support our
healing work.
Printing partially donated by Automated Mailing Services