The economic climate has been a challenging and uphill battle for all businesses and non-profit organizations are no exception. The casualties of closed businesses and decreased donations to non-profits have been wide-spread and catastrophic.
Just over six years ago Maureen Ferreria founded "Hearts and Hooves" a non-profit organization, out of a passion and love for both animals and children. The love and healing that horses had provided her throughout her life inspired her to provide the same for children that were sick, neglected and at-risk. With a team of mini, yet mighty, four-legged friends made up of six miniature horses and one alpaca named Spirit, Maureen addressed the issue of those in extreme need and fulfilled her dream by providing services to children under hospice care, in hospitals and at schools throughout the Northern California area.
Just a few years prior, Beth DeCaprio had a similar vision of uniting children with rescued horses and other animals. Beth started "The Grace Foundation of Northern California" and began the journey of rescuing horses throughout the country and providing dozens of programs to special needs children and adults, both at the ranch located in El Dorado Hills and off-site.
Neither founder had any idea at the time they started their services, that a storm of severe economic disaster was brewing, and that a significant economic downturn was inevitable. Donation dollars have all but dried up and both faced the rocky, uphill battle that all non-profit organizations now face of providing services to animals and people that desperately need it, but doing it with a fraction of the donations.
Beth and Maureen had met a few years before at a charity event and Beth offered to Maureen at that time, that if she ever needed anything, to give her a call. After years of struggling to keep the Hearts and Hooves program alive without collecting a paycheck and with very little assistance, Maureen took Beth up on that offer at the end of 2010.
Just a year prior another organization "Ride and Shine," had faced that same difficult situation of having to close their doors or find a solution for keeping their special needs children in a program. The Grace Foundation took over the operations of Ride and Shine in January of 2010, and are proud that not one child had to miss a session of their much needed therapeutic program.
The last three years have been a true challenge financially for The Grace Foundation, but Beth felt strongly that for the long-term survival of Grace and to keep programs operating in the community, teaming up with other non-profit organizations is essential. National studies have shown this to be true. Organizations are looking to unite and join forces, allowing their donation dollars to maximize resources, reduce overhead, unite volunteer forces and have more of an impact by being able to provide services to more people.
"Simply put, we are stronger in numbers," says Beth DeCaprio. "If we can have unity in providing services and use the best of the programs and curriculum that each organization has to offer, we can provide more to our communities and hopefully weather this economic storm."
Although the Hearts and Hooves facility and operation will be closed, the curriculum, animals, love and mission statement will continue. Similar to what was done with Ride and Shine, all participants will be invited to resume the outreach program at The Grace Foundation and the program will be known as "Hearts and Hooves at Grace."
This was an especially difficult decision to make at this time, as Grace is also greatly in need of raising funds. However, there was no other option for Hearts and Hooves and there was no way that The Grace Foundation could turn their backs on all that Maureen had created and the many people that rely upon these special programs. It is Beth and Maureen's hope that when the community understands the significance of what these programs offer, they too will come together and support this critical mission.
Sadly, one of the key team members of Hearts and Hooves may have to be sold so that Hearts and Hooves can pay one of their creditors. The beloved sentinel of the herd, an alpaca named Spirit, is for sale. The Grace Foundation is hoping that the community will come together to recognize and understand the unity required to save Spirit and all that he represents, from being separated from his herd of minis. The Grace Foundation is hoping that the community can unite with the same spirit they have, in order to further these three very special programs.
Beth and her team are hoping to generate grants or donations in order to continue to operate the existing programs and to be able to implement additional services. These new programs, would provide broader services to even more people in need and would have a much larger, far reaching impact.
Grace is hoping that the community will unite, come together and keep the spirit of philanthropy alive at The Grace Foundation and throughout the nation. "We did not turn our backs - we rallied together,"says Beth. "And we hope that the community will too."
For more information please contact The Grace Foundation at: www.thegracefoundationofnorcal.org or call Beth at (916)941-0800
