I nominate the Adaptive Riding Institute, a nonprofit that provides therapeutic horseback riding for children with disabilities in the Salem, Oregon area. This is a tiny organization with only 2.5 full-time-equivalent staff, yet is able to serve more than 300 children a year thanks to devoted volunteers and supporters. Individual donations are what keep the doors open at ARI. The children of ARI have special needs as diverse as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Brain Injuries, sensory-processing disorders and Autism. Over the years, many have sat up straight for the first time or spoken their first words while on horseback. Being on horseback lets wheelchair-bound children experience the FREEDOM of a 4-legged companion, and riding brings sustained improvements in balance, strength, coordination. Many of ARI’s riders are from low-income families. Even a small donation will go a LONG way to help the loving therapy teams at ARI. See http://www.adaptiveridinginstitute.org for more information. Thank you! PS: Their motto is “Health, Happiness and Healing through Horses”!

Furthermore, I can’t stress enough how true this post is: most of the donations we’ve received for Lori’s Hands so far have been under $50, but they make a HUGE difference for us, especially now as we’re starting from scratch.

Thank you for supplying some excellent outlets for our disposable income, no matter how small, and for providing some outstanding examples for those of us who are trying to make a good thing go great!