For more than two decades, the Grace Therapeutic Horse Program has provided therapy for those with disabilities, addictions, and autism, as well as PTSD survivors and abuse victims. Now, with a grant from the Nation of Neighbors program, award recipients and program co-founders Kristine Eikenbary and Robin Nelson plan to establish a new outreach for pre-teen girls who have experienced child abuse.
Ms. Nelson, a trauma nurse and child abuse survivor herself, says the grant will allow them to hire trained volunteers to focus specifically on this at-risk population. Nelson says, “Horse therapy is a powerful way to help instill self-esteem, learn self-control, and make deep emotional connections with these large and amazingly gentle animals. Girls can learn they have the power to survive.”
Nation of Neighbors is a Royal Neighbors of America philanthropy program that honors women leaders who are impacting the lives of women and girls. Each year, recipients are selected for an empowerment grant to support their work. To date, Royal Neighbors has awarded more than $2 million to women across the country.
