JACOB'S FUND :: Hilltop workday re-scheduled

Jacob's Fund Director, Glenna, and Amayzzing at Hilltop Equestrian Center

With a number of commitments pressing on Hilltop, plus the prediction for rain on Saturday, Hilltop has decided to postpone their work day for May 10th. We will let you know as soon as we have the new date! Thank you to all who have shown interest in joining us. We look forward to working with you at a later date!

Jacob’s Fund :: Work Day at Hilltop Equestrian Center

Jacob's Fund Director, Glenna (center), surrounded by Hilltop staff

Spring on a horse farm in Ohio is the gurgle of a stream winding through a meadow, all-legs foals kicking in a breeze that carries birdsong from a nearby stand of forest, and grass so impossibly green you kneel to touch it to make sure it’s real.

If you’d like to experience a morning like this, come join us on Saturday, May 10, from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at Hilltop Equestrian Center, 4051 U.S. Rt. 35, West Alexandria, Ohio. That’s the day that Jim Hazelwood, Amy Day, and the staff and therapists at Hilltop have set aside to spruce up the farm after the long, cold Ohio winter.  

We’ll receive our assignments and get to work on a beautiful horse farm and barn where kids with disabilities enjoy hippotherapy and therapeutic riding in a warm, loving atmosphere. Following our morning labors, we will gather with the Hilltop “family” for food and fellowship at 1:00 p.m.

If you’ve longed to be part of one of our mission trips but have not been able to commit the time for a trip out of the country or for a long weekend, this is quite possibly the ideal experience for you to “get your feet wet” in a mission experience.  

Please join us in this hands-on experience that helps ensure that the children we sponsor have the best possible experience as they gain the strength and skills to live their lives as fully as possible.

No need to RSVP. 

Just show up on the morning of the 10th and be ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work. 

Inside the Hilltop stable

JACOB'S FUND :: What's so special about a mission trip?

Mission trips. Churches, youth groups, and civic organizations host them as well as non-profits like The Red Thread. Teams work locally, nationally and internationally in soup kitchens, on farms, in hospitals and schools. They get dirty, clean things up, package food, build houses and provide any number of services. 

But why? 
Why go to all of the hassle? 
Why not just write a check? 
That's good enough.
Right?

While raising money for surgeries and medical care is critical to accomplish our mission—providing hope and healing to needy and orphaned children—we feel that relationship building is equally important. It is a component of our programming that is so intertwined with our work serving needy children with disabilities that we can not imagine our organization without it.

Two TRTP volunteers from McKenna Farms mission trip, Spring 2013

On mission trips, ties are strengthened between donors, Red Thread leaders, volunteers, and the families being directly affected by our work. Donors provide the funds for all things necessary to complete the task at hand. Volunteers supply the manpower to do the hands-on work. TRTP team leaders guide the volunteers during the work and facilitate opportunities to meet the children and families being helped. 

Mission trips foster personal connections between: volunteers and children with disabilities; volunteers with TRTP leaders; TRTP leaders with the families being served. These are things that can't be adequately experienced from afar. They require one-on-one contact. 

Through these personal experiences, we see what it's like to live in someone else's shoes for a moment. We see what it is like to have a disability. We then have the opportunity to do something beneficial, to become a direct blessing to a child. Through this process, we grow as human beings. 

And then we share. We share our stories when we come back home. We talk about the people we met and worked with and how they affected our lives. Through mission trips we realize that not only can we GIVE to these children, but we RECEIVE great blessings in return.

That, dear friends, is why we provide these opportunities for TRTP supporters. 

This week, we'll embark on another trip to McKenna Farms. For 3 days, we'll be there, helping out in whatever capacity they need, meeting some of the kids we support, and fellowshipping together. 

In honor of the upcoming journey to Georgia, we invite you to join us for a trip down memory lane through a series of posts about our spring trip from 2013. See the trip through the eyes of Jacob's Fund Director, Glenna, the author of the following posts and our fearless leader for each mission trip in the USA.

JACOB'S FUND :: An open invitation to the farm

Jacob's Fund Director and one of the therapy horses

A Jacob's Fund volunteer staining wood

Can you feel the warmth of the sun?

Can you smell the fresh country air?

Can you hear the horses whinnying?

Are you ready to get your hands dirty?

If not, that time is coming!

The Red Thread team is taking the first mission trip of 2014 to McKenna Farms. We’ll be heading to Dallas, Georgia for a 4-day trip April 24 – 27. We’d like YOU to consider joining us. 

The Jacob Beachy Sensory Trail

The horse barn and temporary sleeping quarters upstairs

The Red Thread team will be spreading love to the kids, meeting the horses, working on the Jacob Beachy Sensory Trail, planting flowers, mulching, weeding and anything else that needs doing. We’ll have the opportunity to meet some of the patients and their families, spend time with some of the therapists, and see the magnificent horses that help provide this healing therapy.

The details

• McKenna Farms is located at 3044 Due West Road, Dallas, Georgia 30157
• Plan to arrive on Thursday, April 24 in the late afternoon or evening. 
• Volunteers will sleep in a combination of therapy buildings, in the farm house or above the barn. 
• Plan to bring your own sleeping bag or air mattress / sheets / blankets, bath towels and toiletries. 
• Meals will be provided all day Friday and all day Saturday. If you have dietary restrictions, just let us know and we’ll accommodate.
• Plan on cool nights and warm days. 
• Horses, hay, dirt, weeds, mulch, paint and wood stain are all part of the mix. Dress accordingly.
• Departure is after breakfast on Sunday, April 27.
• The cost is $100 per participant. 
• Space is limited.

How do I volunteer?
To request an application or learn more, please contact Jacob’s Fund Director, Glenna Fisher at 513.423.0108 or glenna@redthreadpromise.org.

Applications are due April 12, 2014.

We look forward to meeting you in Georgia!

Child receiving therapy

Volunteers bringing in the horses for the night

JACOB'S FUND :: The benefits of equine therapy

Cameron and Landon

Over the years, we’ve witnessed some pretty amazing things. Time and time again, the silken red thread has brought people from all walks of life together to help children in need. We love sharing these stories with you, but no story is quite as good as being there in person, to better understand something to the fullest.

That’s why we’ve created a new video about hippotherapy: to help our supporters better understand how life-changing equine therapy can be for children. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, a video must be worth at least 1,000,000. 



In the video, you'll hear Cameron and Landon's mother, Melissa, share her boys progress since they began hippo therapy. Recently, she also sent this update: 

Both boys are now potty trained! Cameron is learning to read and write this year. He is almost completely independent and thriving. Landon has recently learned to answer questions and understands yes and no. I am very close to having a conversation with him. The other day he brought me some play food and asked me if I was hungry. I almost fell off the couch! It was the best play food I have ever eaten and a moment I will hold dear to my heart. He has learned to read his name first and last and is singing about 5 songs. We are forever blessed to have had help along this journey and are eternally grateful to The Red Thread Promise. To God be the Glory! ~ Melissa

JACOB'S FUND :: Talking at Last!

While most children utter their first word when they’re around a year old, Christopher’s first words came when he was eleven: "horse, trot fast". Not your typical first words, but his mother, Felicia, was ecstatic to hear them!

Felicia, Christopher, and his brother, ready for therapy

Christopher’s severely autistic. He’s thirteen now, and he has been dealing with his diagnosis since he was a toddler.

His symptoms became apparent before his third birthday, and Felicia immediately began searching for help for him. Fortunately, she found Babies Can’t Wait, a Georgia Department of Health program for infants up to three years old with special needs. Thus began their journey on the road that is so familiar to thousands of families: the constant search for help for a child.

For families like Christopher’s, life assumes a new rhythm with the diagnosis: therapy several times each week, frequent and multiple doctors’ appointments.

While therapy may look simple to a typically developing person, it is hard work for children. Kids with disabilities often spend hours each week making their bodies develop new skills, skills that do not come naturally to them. For many children, therapy is temporary. Within a few months, or perhaps a couple of years, the problem is resolved and the child is back on track developmentally. For kids like Christopher, therapy becomes part of life and continues for many years, on into adulthood.

Hippotherapy requires riding backward too

Thankfully, resources and services for young special needs kids can be quite good. However, just like many other parents in this same situation, Felicia found out that as her son grew older, those resources dwindle dramatically. She found herself as a single mom dealing with two boys, facing the challenges of a special needs child and footing devastating medical expenses on her own.

After eight years of clinical therapy, Christopher’s doctor decided to take a new approach, and prescribed hippotherapy for this budding teenager. Felicia found McKenna Farms and Christopher began equine therapy.

And he began to talk.

What a milestone for a family whose child has never spoken a word! Their world changed in an instant. Now, when Christopher wants to go out, he can say “shoes.” If he needs a shower, he says “wash-wash.” When it’s time to go the bathroom, he can tell his mom “flush toilet.”

After two successful years of hippotherapy, Christopher has graduated to therapeutic riding, which will help him maintain and improve flexibility, balance, and muscle strength. In order to maintain continuous progress, consistent weekly therapy is vital. Felicia is able to pay for one therapeutic riding session a month. Jacob’s Fund underwrites the other three sessions each month to ensure uninterrupted therapy for Christopher, to maximize his potential.

Christopher and his brother with Stephanie, his therapist

Christopher’s speech triumph and the amazing and sometimes unexpected accomplishments of kids like him are what drive Jacob’s Fund‘s efforts. Your support makes it possible. We simply could not do this without you. 

Thank you.

JACOB'S FUND :: Contagious Joy

Speech therapy with Cecilia

Recently, TRTP grant writer, Jessica, visited our partners at McKenna Farms and met Cecilia. Now we'd like to introduce you to her.

***** 

Cecilia is a beautiful little girl, so full of life and cheer! Cecilia agreed to let us spend some time with her during her speech therapy session during my visit to McKenna Farms, a gift I will never forget.

After listening to her joyfully point out things like an oven, ladder, and refrigerator and what each does, I made my way to the lobby to introduce myself to her parents and gush over what I had just witnessed. I was deeply moved that her parents would find a comfort level with me and were willing to share her story.

When Cecilia's mother was 25 weeks pregnant, the doctor found water on the baby's brain and suggested that she consider abortion. Her parents decided to continue to full term and meet their baby girl. Days following her birth, surgeons operated on her tiny brain for the first time, with four additional surgeries to follow. 

The family recently moved to Georgia and has been bringing Cecilia to McKenna Farms for over two months. They are thrilled with the progress she has made and are happy to report she will be starting hippotherapy very soon. The two relish their daughter's positive attitude: never a complaint, always cheerful. What a role model this darling girl is!

I suspect all who meet Cecilia feel the warmth of her contagious joy reach into the deepest parts of their hearts. That day I thanked God for touching little Cecilia's life and for allowing her joy to trickle down into my heart. That precious, untainted heart rescued me from the cares and burdens of the world, lifting me above the clouds to the warmth of the sun.

My time spent with her gave me a clearer vision of what our small lives are really about.

~ Jessica, TRTP Grant Writer

JACOB'S FUND :: A grant writer and a big ole hippotherapy farm

Jessica and one of McKenna Farms' therapy horses

Recently, TRTP grant writer, Jessica, visited our partners at McKenna Farms (Dallas, GA). What began as a research trip—to give her a taste of the true Jacob's Fund experience—morphed into something more meaningful than she could have hoped!

***** 

It was a beautiful Friday morning. Skies cleared as the brilliance of the sunlight pierced the gloomy puffs that enveloped the city only hours earlier. Just as the rush of traffic quieted itself, I made my journey to the outskirts of town. Passing shops and eateries, small businesses and neighborhoods, my little car finally rolled to a stop in front of the small pastures where unsuspecting horses grazed nearby.

There, nestled in the midst of ordinary life, my adventure began.  

Jessica and tour guide, Belen

I found my way to the front desk where I met my smiling tour guide for the day, Belen. We began walking the grounds and found ourselves at McKenna Farm's indoor arena, the newest addition to the property. What an amazing space! Belen's gratitude for such a welcome provision spilled over into her description of its great importance. In years past as all hippotherapy and therapeutic riding was done in the outdoor arena, any inclement weather postponed the children's therapy frequently in winter and spring months. With the addition of this large covered space, the children were able to continue their therapy without any interruptions, protected from the elements, a priceless gift!

At the head of the Jacob Beachy Sensory Trail

We continued down the path to the Jacob Beachy Sensory Trail, named after our own Jacob Noah Beachy. As we walked along the trail, observing each sensory station, I imagined what it would be like to be one of these children—to see the world through the eyes of someone born with a disability.

• How much would it mean to laugh if I often felt discomfort or pain? 
• How much would it mean to smell the sweetness of the herbs and hear the melodic chirps from the birds when I was usually indoors? 
• How much would it mean to see the various colors and shapes and feel different textures? 

Not only to experience all of these things, but to experience them pleasantly... not as loud, intrusive noises and odors pressing in to overwhelm, but as gifts meant to be enjoyed. I closed my eyes and envisioned all of the delightful moments that must take place on this very trail in the midst of healing therapy.

Beyond all of the trees surrounding the trail, beyond disability and limitation, there lies refuge and peace for children in need. A place all their own. Amazed by what such simple materials could accomplish, I wandered up to the therapy rooms where I met Cecilia. You can meet her too in our next post.

~ Jessica, TRTP Grant Writer

View from the trail

TEN YEARS AND COUNTING!

On behalf of The Red Thread Promise, we want to thank you for your continued support of our organization. Without people like you, we wouldn't be where we are today, beginning our 10th anniversary celebration! 

We have served countless children in China, Haiti, Uganda and the USA over the past decade. We look forward to continuing our mission—providing hope and healing to needy and orphaned children—with you at our side! 

As 2014 approaches, we wanted to share some exciting opportunities to serve and be in mission with us.

DOMESTIC TRAVEL
In the US, we will continue offering bi-annual trips in the spring and fall to McKenna Farms, our partner providing hippotherapy and therapeutic riding in the south (Dallas, GA). We are excited to announce that we will begin hosting mission trips to our new partner farm in the north, HillTop Equestrian Center (West Alexandria, OH) as well! During these missions, each team performs a variety of stable, grounds and facility work, learns about the therapy offered and the impact it has on young lives, and—most importantly—meets some of the kids we sponsor in our own backyards.

McKenna Farms, Georgia

HillTop Equestrian Center, Ohio

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
With more than 15 trips to St. Vincent’s Center for Handicapped Children over the past three years, The Red Thread will continue offering medical and non-medical mission trips to St. Vincent’s in Port-au-Prince and other areas in Haiti. We have an exciting opportunity to visit a Haitian hippotherapy farm during our upcoming trip (Nov. 2013) and are hopeful to begin a relationship there. This would allow us to offer both hippotherapy and therapeutic riding to kids at St. Vincent's. As we focus on these major medical issues, we will no longer offer Camp Jake. The Red Thread celebrates the three successful sessions we completed over the past two years and we look forward to offering new opportunities that will enrich the children’s lives and improve their health.

St. Vincent's Center for Handicapped Children, Haiti

LOOKING FORWARD
As The Red Thread team reflects on our years of service and looks to the future, we feel our organization is poised to delve deeper into life-changing medical care for disadvantaged children. We will continue to provide services that the child would not receive without intervention, including surgeries, long-term medical treatment, therapy and nutrition. By improving the state of these kids’ health, together, we make a lasting irreversible positive impact on a child’s life, increase their self-confidence, and open doors to a better future. 
  
Who knows where 2014 will lead? It may be the perfect time for our first trips to China and Uganda. Wouldn’t that be a grand way to celebrate our anniversary?!

We look forward to sharing details of upcoming travel and gifting opportunities as we work together to care for needy and orphaned children, TEN YEARS and counting!

JACOB'S FUND: Meeting Kyle, part 2 - New beginnings

Kyle and mom, Kelli

Glenna, Jacob’s Fund Director, and Sonya, TRTP VP, drove to a quiet Cincinnati suburb a few weeks ago to meet Kyle, the newest recipient of a Jacob’s Fund ridership (aka a hippotherapy scholarship). Kyle has been diagnosed with three challenging conditions: Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), epilepsy and hypotonia. His life—and that of his family—is a daily challenge.

We were deeply impressed as Kelli (Kyle's mother) shared her tireless work seeking out specialists, treatments and any form of help that she and her husband can provide for Kyle. Here is a tiny sample of the family's efforts for their first-born:

• Securing a grant from the Cincinnati Inquirer for a heavy-duty changing table and special stroller to accommodate Kyle's 7-year-old body
• Putting him on a Ketogenic diet that includes drinking special formula, stimulating his body to produce ketones which help to suppress his epilepsy, thus decreasing the volume of seizure medications necessary
• Seeking out a grant for a supply of Kyle's special diapers; due to his age and build, he falls into the wide gap between readily available toddler- and adult-size diapers

The biggest hurdle
One of the family's biggest challenges is communication with their 7-year-old son. Kyle—who is currently non-verbal—is being evaluated to identify a form of communication that will be successful for both him and his parents. The family has explored ASL (American Sign Language), which requires fine motor skills that he hasn't yet mastered, and PECS (picture exchange communication) with little success. Not being able to understand one another is a source of frustration not only for Kyle, but anyone involved in his care.

This is one of the main reasons The Red Thread Promise has offered Kyle a hippotherapy ridership. We have observed such profound progress with non-verbal children receiving therapy on the back of a horse! Hippotherapy has been documented time and time again to be an aid to opening lines of communication previously undiscovered. We are all extremely hopeful that this doctor-prescribed therapy will help Kyle develop his own form of communication, opening many doors into this special child's world.

New beginnings

This July, Kyle will begin hippotherapy at nearby Hilltop Equestrian Center. He and his family have already completed the pre-screening process and are anxious to begin his treatment in Hilltop's summer session. During their tour of the facility, Kyle impressed everyone with his acceptance of the horses, showing little fear or apprehension. We hope that these characteristics will provide Kyle's smooth transition from the ground to horseback where therapy begins.

After Kyle has been in therapy for a few consecutive weeks, the Jacob's Fund team will visit Hilltop to observe Kyle's riding, speak with his therapists and provide an update. Thank you so much for helping us put this boy in the saddle! 

JACOB'S FUND: Expansion dreams come true!

Glenna greeting Amazzing, one of the therapy horses

That’s right.You read the title correctly. 
The Red Thread Promise is standing on the threshold of a brand-new relationship with a PATH certified hippotherapy center in southwestern Ohio! While we will continue working with the kids and staff of McKenna Farms, our long-term partners in Georgia, The Red Thread team has longed to provide hippotherapy and therapeutic riding to children in other areas. Now, we are making that dream a reality.

Recently, Glenna (Jacob’s Fund Director) and Sonya (TRTP VP) traveled to Hilltop Equestrian Center in beautiful rural Ohio. Less than an hour’s drive from many of the more populated cities and towns in the area, Hilltop is staffed with AHA certified therapists who are ready to work with our children. During our conversation, we quickly established that both organizations share many common goals and basic principles, agreeing that:

• Hippotherapy and therapeutic riding opens the door to new worlds for youngsters with disabilities; and
• A family’s economic circumstance should not prevent a child from receiving therapy. 

It was the start of something beautiful.

One wing of Hilltop's stables

Glenna, Jacob's Fund Director, and the Hilltop staff

Jim Hazelwood, Program and Events Director at Hilltop, and Amy Day, Master of Physical Therapy, guided the tour through the facility as we discussed practical matters such as: 

• how often hippotherapy is offered
• how many children receive therapy
• how many therapy horses are in use
• how long sessions are and associated costs
• their therapist qualifications; and  
• the certifications of the facility.

One of Hilltops littlest riders during hippotherapy

The indoor arena

As we’ve mentioned in previous posts, providing services like this goes far beyond the technical aspects. We were eager to hear what Hilltop does for families as a whole. With a goal of enriching all family members’ lives, a pre-screening consultation is required for entry into any Hilltop program so that staff can get to know not only the child receiving therapy, but the family also. Hilltop also provides numerous programs for other family members including adults, teens and typically developing siblings in addition to therapy services. 

When we left, Hilltop welcomed The Red Thread Promise to visit, observe, take photos and interview staff, children, and families anytime.  

Learning horsemanship

This was music to our ears as we do our best to share the progress of the children we support with you. In an upcoming post, you’ll meet Kyle, the first child Jacob's Fund will be sponsoring at Hilltop. Stay tuned and be prepared to fall in love with this precious little boy!

Give For Youth Challenge!

Tony and one of his favorite therapy horses, Pumpkin

Great News! Remember Tony? We’ve featured him on our blog as a Jacob’s Fund scholarship recipient , his heart wrenching personal story growing up as a boy with autism, and his successes in the Equestrian Special Olympics. 

We are excited to share that our Jacob’s Fund project, “Help Youth Like Tony Become Independent,” has been accepted into the GIVE FOR YOUTH CHALLENGE from Microsoft and Global Giving!

After the Equestrian Special Olympics

What does this mean? We have the opportunity to further help youth like Tony move successfully into adulthood, equipping him and others with disabilities with the life-skills needed to become part of the workplace upon high school graduation. Jacob’s Fund has supported Tony since he was sixteen. Now he’s twenty and eager to move into a group home and secure a permanent job. Our dream is to help him with that transition while continuing his much-needed therapeutic riding. 

Now we need your vote to win the chance 

to crowd fund on GiveforYouth.org*!

Microsoft has teamed with GOOD to find 20 outstanding youth-serving nonprofits to feature on GiveforYouth.org. We are excited that our project qualified! The top 20 vote getters in the Give for Youth Challenge will get to crowd fund their projects on GiveforYouth.org. Best of all, Microsoft will match funds raised during the challenge phase up to $100,000 across all organizations.

So you can see why we’re so excited (and we hope you are, too)! This is an outstanding opportunity and we hope you’ll help out.

Please take a moment to cast your vote by March 1st. Please forward this to anyone in your personal or professional network. The more votes we get, the better our chances to get this project off the ground!

Go to the Give For Youth website. Click the big vote button below the project name. Sign in using your Facebook info or create a username and password. Follow the instructions and make a difference in Tony's life!!!
   

During a therapeutic riding session in Georgia

Thanks for your vote!

GiveforYouth.org is a Microsoft YouthSpark program in partnership with Global Giving.

JACOB’S FUND :: TONY UPDATE, part 2

Tony atop Pumpkin during therapy

A positive outlook
On the beautiful, misty Friday morning of September’s trip to McKenna Farms, Glenna spotted Tony and his therapist, Kristen, leading Pumpkin—a strikingly beautiful horse— from the barn to the outdoor arena. As they walked, Tony was telling Kristen, “Well, not every weekend can be a great weekend!” 

That’s so typical of Tony – he brings a positive attitude to all life’s challenges of which he has endured many. 

Glenna greeted him at the gate of the arena. Tony vigorously shook Glenna’s hand, replying in his unfailingly polite manner, that he was unable to talk right then as he needed to focus on his riding. Glenna stepped aside, watched them enter the arena and quietly observed his session with the therapist. 

One of the most beautiful moments was in the ring, after warming up the horse for the ride. Kristen regarded Tony and said, “Pumpkin looks really happy this morning. Do you think he’s happy?” Tony replied simply: “He’s happy. I’m happy. There’s a big smile on my face!” 

Jacob’s Fund wants to keep that smile on Tony’s face. If you’d like to help, donations can be made via check (to the address at the top right) or via our handy PayPal button (right sidebar). Thank you for you continued support of children in the United States.

JACOB’S FUND :: TONY UPDATE, part 1

Tony and Pumpkin

Good hearts and good heads 
Sharing the many ways children’s lives have improved because of your support is our gift of thanks to YOU. Our recent visit to McKenna Farms allowed us to follow up with Jacob’s Fund Kids, hear about their journeys, celebrate their successes and offer additional support as necessary. 

During that trip, our team was able to visit with Tony, a Jacob’s Fund scholarship recipient. Diagnosed with autism at an early age, Tony’s journey has been a hard one and life continues to throw challenges in his path.

For most children, their mother is the foundation of their world. For Tony, his mom, Carol, was all that and more: she was his caretaker and complete support system. After only two years of therapy at the Farm, Tony’s mother was given a diagnosis of esophageal cancer, inoperable and terminal.

The underpinnings of Tony’s world collapsed. The family’s resources and energy centered on his mother's health and care. Without a stable home life and unable to continue his therapy sessions, Tony began to withdraw; his attitude and behavior began slipping. 

That’s when Jacob’s Fund stepped in. Thanks to your help, we were able to provide continuous weekly therapeutic riding, and Tony went on to qualify for the 2011 Equestrian Special Olympics. In her last weeks, Carol was able to watch her son compete and capture medals, cheering for each victory!

Shortly thereafter, Tony’s world turned upside down. Since his mother’s passing, he has become homebound, spending most of his time on the computer or just listening to music. His family is often absent and opportunities for outings are practically nonexistent as are social interactions. Thankfully, a weekend caregiver drives him to the Farm once a week for his one-hour sessions, the only consistent thing in his life. 

Tony recently completed a work adjustment program offered by the state of Georgia and successfully worked at Goodwill, TJ Maxx and other short-term jobs, with transportation provided by the state. Back at home, and without transportation, Tony is unable to hold a job, something he desperately wants and needs. He is currently on a waiting list for life-skills classes as well as for placement in a group home.  

While his body grows thinner and thinner, his hope and optimism is heartbreakingly beautiful. Tony may never be able to live independently. But his urge to take charge of as much of his life as he possibly can inspires us to find ways to help him live his life in the fullest possible way.

We know The Red Thread Promise community is full of good hearts and good heads. As you consider Tony’s story, we are open to fresh ideas for how to further help this wonderful young man, so full of hope and potential! If you or someone you know has experience working with adults with autism, we’d like to hear from you. Responses can be sent to ghfisher@ameritech.net.

Jacob's Fund mission trip: JOIN US

The Red Thread team is off again, this time to McKenna Farms in Dallas, Georgia for our second mission trip. Members of Christ United Methodist Church in Middletown, Ohio, were given a personal invitation this morning by Glenna, Director of Jacob’s Fund, pictured below.

We’d like to extend that same invitation to YOU!

This year we’ll be at the farm on a weekday when many of the children come for therapy. We’re hoping to meet some of the kids and observe hippotherapy and therapeutic riding sessions as we work around the farm, broadening our understanding of this life-changing treatment. We’ll spruce up the Jacob Beachy Sensory Trail, perform other needed tasks and form lasting relationships.

Folks from Christ Church who went with us in 2011 are eager to return to visit the courageous kids, caring staff, beautiful horses, and lovely farm setting that inspired and humbled us.

Fall 2011 mission team  

It's all in the details

• THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 – Evening arrival; set up sleeping quarters in the farmhouse
• FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 - Work day (all meals provided)
• SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 – Work day (all meals provided)
• SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 – Return home

If you’d like to be a part of Jacob’s Fund Mission Trip, please call or email Glenna Fisher (513-423-0108, ghfisher@ameritech.net) or Sonya Yencer (614-316-9491, sonya@redthreadpromise.org).

Can’t make the trip?  You can still help. Your donation in any amount will help cover therapy costs and barn fees for the kids we’re currently supporting at McKenna Farms:  three-year-old twins Cameron and Landon and teenager Brandon.

Thank you for your ongoing support of Jacob’s Fund!

Jacob's Fund / Brandon's scholarship in the news!

Brandon with one of the many horses at McKenna Farms

We are so pleased that Jacob's Fund has again been featured in the news! Our sponsorship of Brandon for the next 12 months was featured on Dallas-HiramPatch.com. Looking forward to providing updates on Brandon throughout the year.

-------------------

DALLAS-HIRAMPATCH.COM / AUGUST 8, 2012: Jacob’s Fund, the United States program of The Red Thread Promise, announces a scholarship for local teen Brandon Cummins, providing therapeutic riding at McKenna Farms, in Dallas, Georgia, for a full year.

“We’re thrilled to announce that Jacob’s Fund will begin supporting Brandon. This is an outstanding opportunity and challenge for our donors” said Glenna Fisher, Director of Jacob’s Fund.

Jacob’s Fund was created in 2007 as a memorial following the death of Jacob Noah Beachy, three-year-old son of Josh and Sarah Beachy of Atlanta. Wishing that other children would have the experiences and growth that Jacob found at McKenna Farms, his family began sponsoring children’s therapy there.

Brandon, who is seventeen, found his forever family just two years ago. Dan and Tracy Cummins had begun to foster children after Dan saw and read of the plight of children in need of foster care. It was a carefully considered decision.

Dan, father of two boys, could not get the images of children who needed foster parents out of his mind. He was heartbroken because of the ill treatment some of them had endured, and he wanted to do something about it.

Tracy, his wife, was cautious. What would it do to the family to bring children into their home that had lived chaotic, unpredictable, sometimes painful lives?

They were asked to care for Brandon for a single weekend. He was 15 at the time.

“He was so polite, so well-behaved,” Tracy said. The polite, gentle boy impressed the family, including their two biological sons. They signed up to be his Secret Santa.

The thank-you note they received from Brandon was gracious, but he ended with “what I really want is a family.”

Within a few weeks, the teenager became eligible for adoption and their younger son said, “Well, let’s go get him.”

He’d been diagnosed with speech problems early, and had received help with speech at school for a while. Then it stopped. But Brandon’s problem didn’t go away.

Once the adoption was complete, it was time to look for speech therapy. Paulding County Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS) suggested McKenna Farms, and Brandon began speech therapy in the summer of 2011, working in one of the therapy rooms at the Civil-War era farmhouse. Then, early this summer, McKenna Farms asked him to volunteer at the farm.

Working in the barn with the horses has been a turning point for this young man. Now his speech therapist comes to the barn for therapy sessions, where Brandon is happiest and at his best, surrounded by horses. Children arriving for riding appointments ask for Brandon to be their helper during therapy sessions.

“He volunteers and helps so much. The horses are helping him a lot, too. Therapeutic riding lessons will be awesome for him,” said Jessica Moore, Executive Director at McKenna Farms

Tracy, his mom, adds, “Brandon is proud of what he does. He helps others without asking anything in return. He has new confidence, and he’s learned that he can contribute. He’s thrilled to begin therapeutic riding sessions.”

Brandon’s glad to help others; now Jacob’s Fund can let him know that others want to help him, too.

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For more information on Jacob’s Fund contact: 

Glenna Fisher Jacob’s Fund Director, The Red Thread Promise 
513.309.0842 ghfisher@ameritech.net

Kathy Korge Albergate President, The Red Thread Promise 
817.320.6522 kathy@redthreadpromise.org 
20 Brookfield Ave, Glen Rock, NJ 07452 

For more information about McKenna Farms contact: 
Jessica Moore Executive Director, McKenna Farms 
3044 Due West Road, Dallas, GA 30157