| Spring 2020 Welcome! Welcome to the first edition of the Gateway HorseWorks' Newsletter. Thank you for being an ongoing supporter of our organization. We are looking forward to staying connected with you in this way! Free TeleMental Health Sessions to all essential workers & their families Gateway HorseWorks is committed to serving the mental health needs of our community. We know essential workers and their families need extra support as they navigate the stress and trauma due to COVID-19. We are providing free telemental health services to as many people as possible in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. To learn more or schedule a session, visit our COVID-19 Response page. How our horses continue to heal through a global Pandemic Hear from Mental Health professional Amber Klimovitz, LCSW about her experience, expectations, and lessons adapting to telemental health sessions here. 100 Masks for Public Health Challenge Join us in our mask making challenge! All reusable masks made during this challenge will be donated to the Chester County Prison for our community members who are returning home and released during COVID-19. We know that public health is public safety and we are thrilled to be able to support our neighbors in this way. Follow this link to learn more about our programs at Chester County Prison. Click here to join the challenge! Thank you. We are so humbled by your support during #GivingTuesdayNow. If you'd like to learn more how you can support our accessible telemental health sessions and our herd of horses visit our website. The Mucking Time from the Executive Director - Kristen de Marco Horse people will tell you - our best ideas come while shoveling… well, you know. I’ve found myself cleaning stalls a lot more frequently during quarantine--spending hours on the farm with the horses, alone. This mucking time with our horses has allowed me to deepen the bond with our herd- the heart of our organization. I’ve been able to slow down enough for them to show me just how far we’ve come as a team. From our almost unleadable mares, Fannie and Rimtiana, adopted from The University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, to our squirt, Nova, who refused to let anyone (especially our barn manager, Tom) touch her for several months, I sit with them now in stillness in the barn and see our progress and connection through our daily commitment to one another. I admire how different their personalities are, and cherish how I know each of their quirks (Fannie must bang her door LOUDLY on the fan while her blanket is changed), and, most of all, their closeness to one another. They have overcome past abuse, neglect, and trauma to trust again. I have watched them find joy and peace together as a herd. It has taken time, intention, and repetition for all of this to happen. And, every moment I am with them, I have to earn the right to be with them. In my years offering equine-assisted psychotherapy, I have watched many people make this same transformation. I can’t quite express what a privilege it is to witness people find their own solutions and heal from unimaginable pain. I am humbled by their courage and vulnerability. During this pandemic, spending time mucking has once again reminded me how deeply resilient we can be. As I make my way through all of my shovel-fulls, literally and metaphorically, and sense my own uncertainty about the world today, I am still filled with hope. We will make it through this, I remind myself. Just for today, it is enough just to show up and grab a shovel. In Case you missed Us ! Our Feature in East Coast Equestrian Executive Director Kristen de Marco's Keynote Speech at EAGALA 2020 Conference Gateway HorseWorks -a MicroProject recipient- hosts Compass Philadelphia! Herd Highlight: Nova We're kicking off our herd highlights with a farm favorite - who will be sure to remind us of this title if we ever forget it! Thanks to your generous support and donations, our cheekiest little-big-horse Nova has made a full and healthy recovery from Colic surgery late last year! As one of our rescue horses, it has been rewarding to see Nova absolutely full of life and showing up 100% in every session. join us on social Media |
Welcome!
Welcome to the first edition of the Gateway HorseWorks' Newsletter. Thank you for being an ongoing supporter of our organization. We are looking forward to staying connected with you in this way!
| |
Free TeleMental Health Sessions to all essential workers & their families
Gateway HorseWorks is committed to serving the mental health needs of our community. We know essential workers and their families need extra support as they navigate the stress and trauma due to COVID-19. We are providing free telemental health services to as many people as possible in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. To learn more or schedule a session, visit our COVID-19 Response page.
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How our horses continue to heal through a global Pandemic | |
Hear from Mental Health professional Amber Klimovitz, LCSW about her experience, expectations, and lessons adapting to telemental health sessions here. | |
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|
|
|
100 Masks for Public Health Challenge
Join us in our mask making challenge! All reusable masks made during this challenge will be donated to the Chester County Prison for our community members who are returning home and released during COVID-19. We know that public health is public safety and we are thrilled to be able to support our neighbors in this way. Follow this link to learn more about our programs at Chester County Prison.
Click here to join the challenge!
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Thank you.
We are so humbled by your support during #GivingTuesdayNow. If you'd like to learn more how you can support our accessible telemental health sessions and our herd of horses visit our website.
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 |
The Mucking Time
from the Executive Director -
Kristen de Marco
Horse people will tell you - our best ideas come while shoveling… well, you know. I’ve found myself cleaning stalls a lot more frequently during quarantine--spending hours on the farm with the horses, alone. This mucking time with our horses has allowed me to deepen the bond with our herd- the heart of our organization. I’ve been able to slow down enough for them to show me just how far we’ve come as a team. From our almost unleadable mares, Fannie and Rimtiana, adopted from The University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, to our squirt, Nova, who refused to let anyone (especially our barn manager, Tom) touch her for several months, I sit with them now in stillness in the barn and see our progress and connection through our daily commitment to one another.
I admire how different their personalities are, and cherish how I know each of their quirks (Fannie must bang her door LOUDLY on the fan while her blanket is changed), and, most of all, their closeness to one another. They have overcome past abuse, neglect, and trauma to trust again. I have watched them find joy and peace together as a herd. It has taken time, intention, and repetition for all of this to happen. And, every moment I am with them, I have to earn the right to be with them.
In my years offering equine-assisted psychotherapy, I have watched many people make this same transformation. I can’t quite express what a privilege it is to witness people find their own solutions and heal from unimaginable pain. I am humbled by their courage and vulnerability. During this pandemic, spending time mucking has once again reminded me how deeply resilient we can be. As I make my way through all of my shovel-fulls, literally and metaphorically, and sense my own uncertainty about the world today, I am still filled with hope. We will make it through this, I remind myself. Just for today, it is enough just to show up and grab a shovel.
| |
We're kicking off our herd highlights with a farm favorite - who will be sure to remind us of this title if we ever forget it! Thanks to your generous support and donations, our cheekiest little-big-horse Nova has made a full and healthy recovery from Colic surgery late last year! As one of our rescue horses, it has been rewarding to see Nova absolutely full of life and showing up 100% in every session. | |
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