Our mission
The mission of DCCH Center for Children and Families is to express God’s love by providing compassionate care and quality services to address the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of children and families.
The equine sessions
DCCH’s Equine Sessions uses the natural empathy and grace of horses to bring peace to the children we serve. As an equine volunteer, you would have the opportunity to change lives by helping children form connections with our horses. Our program focuses on helping our kids learn safety, how to identify and cope with feelings, build effective communication skills, set boundaries, overcome fears, and trust. It takes dedicated volunteers to make this program happen!
I continue to marvel at how a horse can behave in a certain way that results in the presentation of a crucial issue for a client. It is as though the horse already knows the history.
- Nancy Jarrell
Equine volunteer support opportunities
Equine sessions
During Equine Sessions, volunteers prep the horses for their sessions with children, to get them in the “listening mood.” Volunteers will also lead the horses – walking with the children to help the children gain confidence; explaining that while the horse is listening to them, they must listen to the horse.
Horse care
General care of our horses is one of the major responsibilities of our volunteers! Equine volunteers help with feeding, grooming, and keeping an eye on the horses’ overall health. As an equine volunteer, you would have the opportunity to pick a day of the week that works for you to come out and feed our lovely horses.
Training
As therapy horses, our boys need to be in good shape both physically and mentally. Equine volunteers help with this by regularly training our horses. You could help by doing groundwork, riding and any training that promotes respect and listening! DCCH has plenty of space to ride. Volunteers are free to ride the horses anywhere on DCCH’s 75 acres!
Participant benefits
Children participating in DCCH’s Equine Sessions receive the following benefits:
- Increased trust
- Reduced anxiety
- Decreased feelings of depression and isolation
- Increased self-esteem, self-acceptance, and social skills
- Better impulse control
- Increased problem-solving skills
- Improved communication skills, including non-verbal
- Better understanding of healthy boundaries and the importance of assertiveness
- Gained insight to empathy and compassion to get outside one’s own negative thoughts and nurture another creature
Volunteer benefits
Beyond the sense of fulfillment provided by helping children in need, DCCH also offers volunteers a unique opportunity: FREE HORSE INTERACTION! Owning or leasing a horse can be very expensive. At DCCH, volunteers can form close bonds with our horses at no cost. At large boarding barns, there are typically multiple people mulling about. As a small program, there is a sense of privacy when volunteering at DCCH.
If you love horses and want to make a positive impact in the community, consider joining our team and becoming an equine volunteer at DCCH! We would love to have you!
Meet our horses
Blaze
Blaze is a quarter cross horse around 23 years old and over 15 hands high. He’s a very sweet boy who loves attention. A delight to work with, Blaze will steal your heart with his gentle soul!
Vader
Vader is an 11-year-old Hackney/Morgan pony that stands a little over 14 hands high. He’s the sweetest boy you’ll ever meet and absolutely adores snuggles. His personality is one of a kind
Poco
Poco is a Paint around 25 years old and over 15 hands high. Not only is he absolutely GORGEOUS, but also wonderful to work with. Give him lots of snuggles and treats and he will love you forever!
George
George is a 14 hands high, 31-year-old Arabian. To George, age is just a number! He is a spritely little fellow who loves going on walks. He also loves rubbing his head against you when he’s itchy, which is quite often. Our little Georgie is the sassiest, gentlest, old boy you will ever meet!
Skippy
More information to come!