Putting their best foot forward!

Last month at Camp Cheerful we worked hard getting ready for the 3^rd Annual Horse Expro.  It was also a “Day of Caring” where Timberland Boot Company/Lucky Shoes & Arthur Shoe Tree spent the entire day cleaning out the barn, all the horse stalls, the indoor and outdoor arenas, our viewing area, and the surrounding grounds.  They did everything from scrubbing down walls and ceilings to setting up tables and chairs for the big event.  This is a great opportunity for the riders to showcase their riding skills and what they have learned throughout the year here. 

This year, there were about 50 riders who participated in this event.  We also had a special appearance by The Cleveland Metro Parks Mounted Rangers and Sparky the miniature horse gave carriage rides to anyone interested.  Timberland Boot Company donated over 50 pair of new boots and thermal socks to all our riders who wanted a new pair of boots.  The kids also enjoy coloring and decorating pumpkins, getting new Camp Cheerful t-shirts and sweatshirts, and watching the “Parade of Breeds”.  

A great time was had by all…and we have pictures to prove it!   Check out our pictures on flickr.com to see for yourself!

Who Am I?

Mirror, Mirror...

This week at Camp Cheerful we will be training the horses on the new sensory trail.  We take three horses out at a time, without riders, and walk them through the trail.  We stop at each one of the activities and allow the horses to see what it’s all about.  Most of the horses are fascinated with the carnival mirrors.  They tend to stare at them for long periods of time.   It’s fun to watch their reaction as they see a stretched out version of themselves looking back at them through the mirror.  None of the horses care too much for the noodle wash that we walk them through.  It’s about 25 different colored foam noodles hanging from ropes across the trail about eight feet deep.  They stop and give you a look like, “I’m not going through there!”  One horse will go through very slowly stopping every two steps while another horse will trot through just to get out of there as fast as he can.  We take them into the trail for about one hour each day.  We will continue to do this until they get so used to the bells and whistles and all the activities that they become bored with it.  Then and only then will it be time to put a rider on their back while they go through the trail.  The whole process should take about four weeks or so.  It will be a great adventure for the children once we are ready for them. 

At Highland Hills, the children continue to learn their letters and how to spell their own names.  They are also learning about their body parts.  Last week, they painted their hands, placed them onto construction paper, made a hand print, cut it out, and added leaves and a stem to make hand flowers.  They did the same with their feet.  The children laughed as the paint brush tickled their feet as it was painted.  So far they have a large poster of hand flowers and a large posted of feet flowers.  I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Getting another volunteer perspective

During my second week a company called Momentive Performance Materials came out to Camp Cheerful with about 40 of their employees and worked all day at the facility.  They painted buildings, stained picnic tables and decks, trimmed bushes and trees, applied new mulch in flower beds, and installed a new sensory trail for the children and horses.  All the material needed and manpower hours were donated by their company.  We trained a new horse in the wheelchair lift and we should be able to use him next week.  We also contacted all the families to let them know that Timberland will be giving every rider a new pair of boots and we need to have them all sized so we can place the boot order. 

At Highland Hills the children are all working on spelling and writing their own names.  They have been working on the letters of the alphabet since school started and now they are putting the letters together to spell their names.  They are also learning body parts this week.  They are all coming along well.  One little girl just learned to zip up her own jacket.  She is so proud of her accomplishment that she has been going around and helping out her friends with their jackets.

Getting into the Swing of Things

At Camp Cheerful I work for about 4 hours each day with the horses in the Therapeutic Riding Program.  I help groom, feed, train, and exercise the horses.  On my second day of work I braided Nick’s (one of the horse’s) mane to help keep him from sweating.  I also have one to two classes of therapeutic riding each day where I either lead the horse and rider through the trails or I walk beside the rider and help them with their balance and spot them as they ride.  For the rest of the day, my duties at Camp Cheerful include making phone calls to volunteers to make sure we have enough for each session we offer.  I also make reminder calls to riders for certain upcoming events and activities.  I set up volunteer orientations for new volunteers who are interested in helping with the Therapeutic Riding Program.

At the Highland Hills facility I work in a preschool classroom until nap time.  I assist the head teacher with anything she needs during the school day.  I also have lunch with the children and attend all their activities.  During their nap time, I work in the office on special projects such as upcoming fundraising events, website blogs, and special mailings.

Our Year in Pictures

The Achievement Centers’ 2008/09 Annual Report & Video are here! This year’s annual report showcases “The Stories That Connect Us”, a look at some of our donors and the people who benefit from their generosity. And in our video, you’ll see the stories of Brooke, Kathryn and Stephen as they grow and achieve. Enjoy!

2008/09 Annual Report
2009/09 Video

A Change of Pace

Hi my name is Julie Stallard and I have worked for Charter One Bank for the past 6 years.  Back in January I applied for and became the Sabbatical recipient for the state of Ohio.  What that means is for three months I will volunteer for a non-profit organization of my choice and still receive my salary from Charter One Bank.  I have always wanted to work with children with special needs.  I think it’s great the way these kids appreciate the little things in life that so many of us take for granted.  I enjoy seeing their faces light up with smiles when they accomplish something new.  I narrowed my choice down to two Centers who focused on children with special needs.  I chose Achievement Centers for Children because of the variety of interests and activities they offer.  I was really impressed with their Camp Cheerful facility in Strongsville.  They have a Therapeutic Riding Program which allows children with and without special needs to spend one hour each week riding a horse through their scenic trails or in their indoor arena.  I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to spend time with the children and work with horses as well. 

Starting September 8, 2009 I began working Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at Camp Cheerful and on Thursdays in the Early Childhood Education Development Center in Highland Hills.  This is a great opportunity for me and I am extremely grateful to Charter One Bank for granting me this opportunity.  I look forward to working with Achievement Centers for Children for the next three months and will savor every minute of it.

Welcome to the Achievement Centers for Children

Welcome to the official blog for the
Achievement Centers for Children!

The Achievement Centers for Children is a non-profit organization located in Cleveland, OH whose mission is to work with children with disabilities and their families . Last year, we served over 3,900 children with special needs, to strengthen abilities and create opportunities for lifelong achievement in society.

In this blog, you’ll get an inside look at the Achievement Centers. Volunteers, families, clients, and staff will all share their stories about how the Achievement Centers for Children has impacted their life. We hope to inspire and engage our readers so that you can understand why everyone here is so passionate about the very important work we do!

We hope you enjoy and please come visit us on our website, www.achievementcenters.org to learn more about us!