Powered by RebelMouse
Fitness, Health & Wellness
Mary Sciglimpaglia
www.youtube.com

Horseback Riding That Builds Leadership And Confidence In Individuals With Special Needs

Therapeutic horseback riding can make all the difference! A New Canaan, CT-based therapeutic riding program called New Canaan Mounted Troop, not only helps kids and adults build leadership, responsibility, and confidence through sound horsemanship, but it also enriches the lives of individuals with special needs through equine-assisted activities.

Celebrating its 77th year, the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization provides the most comprehensive educational Full Horsemanship and Equine Care Programs for youth in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

New Canaan Mounted Troop offers several programs - The Troopers program provides both full horsemanship and equine care through hands-on learning, while the Super Troopers program provides therapeutic services to children and adults with special needs.

Run by instructors and volunteers, the Super Troopers Therapeutic Programs launched in 2012 and is a therapy program based on equine care and adaptive riding. The goal of the program is to serve children and adults with cognitive, physical, emotional, and social disabilities or any combination of the four.

Lori Leskin's 26-year-old daughter, Sami, has been a part of the Super Troopers program for over 5 years and what a difference it has made for her physically! Born with a seizure disorder, Sami initially enrolled in the program to reap the physical benefits of riding a horse. Before she came to the equine center, her core was so weak she would slump over in her chair. Thanks to the Super Troopers program she's now able to stop an 1800 pound horse by herself and her self-confidence has sky-rocketed! You go, Sami!



This HooplaHa original video was produced by Tracy Chevrier, shot by Matt Kravitsky and edited by Kellie Sieban. To see more good news, follow us on Facebook and sign up for our Only Good News Newsletter.

Series - Fearless Like Me
www.youtube.com

Paralyzed Beauty CEO Still Fearless at 40 - Fearless Like Me (E2)

Very few of us are born fearless, but some ascend to that state from a seminal moment in their lives. In this episode of "Fearless Like Me", Francesco Clark recalls when he faced that moment, lying paralyzed in a hospital bed after a pool accident. "I was told by my surgeon that I would never talk, breath on my own, or move my arms ever again," he recalled. "I learned to become fearless at that moment when I felt my life had been robbed of who I was."

Keep reading... Show less
Community & Causes
www.youtube.com

81-Year-Old Priest Revives Tough Boston Neighborhood

For the past 10 years Father Richard Conway has been a fixture on the streets of Dorchester, a tough neighborhood south of Boston which has seen its share of gang violence and upheaval. He doesn't wear a bulletproof vest or carry a weapon, but what he does have is much more powerful and meaningful to his community – a warmth and charisma that is building bridges between the residents, local government and the police to bring positive change to his troubled district.

Keep reading... Show less
Community & Causes
www.youtube.com

Helping the “Unhoused” One Shower At A Time

What is universally despised in large, modern, metropolitan areas more than its public transportation, and in particular, the city bus? Slow, crowded, unpleasant – it mostly reminds us of lean times of struggle. However, a creative group of folks from San Francisco have come up with a brilliant idea that repurposes this inner city workhorse, converting it from a people mover to a mobile oasis where unhoused neighbors can seek comfort.

Keep reading... Show less
Fitness, Health & Wellness
www.youtube.com

Brow Guru Beats Adversity Time and Again – The Ramy Gafni Story

Ramy Gafni did not start out with a burning desire to be in the beauty industry. While growing up in Queens, New York, his parents always encouraged him to choose his own path and find the thing that made him happy. Ramy thought that law school was where he would thrive but after a year he had doubts that this was his calling. On an impulse, he traveled to Australia to attend Beauty School and after the first day, he knew what his future would be.

Keep reading... Show less
Pets & Animals
www.youtube.com

A Sanctuary For Rescued Chimps

Some scientists spend their lifetimes in medical research in order to cure the world's most dangerous diseases. While we regularly celebrate their tireless work that saves thousands of lives around the world, we often forget about the animal subjects essential to this research, many of whom were bred for this role and spent their entire lifetime in lab cages. In 2014, an organization was founded by animal welfare advocates to address at least one aspect of this issue. Project Chimps was born with the mission to end the use of chimpanzees in medical research and to provide lifelong care to former research animals at its 236-acre forested sanctuary in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia.

Keep reading... Show less
Community & Causes
www.youtube.com

Using Music and Art to Build Friendships on the Border

In a small, brightly decorated building only a stone's throw from the border wall between Mexico and the USA, 50 to 100 children a week come to do hands-on art projects, learn a musical instrument, or just socialize with others. In this special place, Director Gretchen Baer's mission is to show kids that anything is possible if you think creatively, no matter who you are or where you came from.

Nonprofit Studio Mariposa is a free transformative art center for kids in Naco, Mexico, along the Arizona border. For the past three years, kids come to the small studio once a week where Gretchen and her volunteers set up art projects and music lessons. The art projects include painting, making bracelets, mosaics and weaving on a loom.

Keep reading... Show less
Community & Causes
www.youtube.com

Sharing Books and Building Communities Through Little Free Libraries

** To celebrate National Book Lovers Day (AUG 9), OGTV is re-sharing this story about an idea that has sparked the love of books for millions readers around the world. **

When Todd Bol's mother died in 2009, he wanted to honor her in a special way. She was a dedicated teacher and an avid reader, so Todd built a small model of a one room schoolhouse, filled it with books and put it in the front yard of his home in Hudson, Wisconsin. His neighbors loved what he'd done, so he kept doing it.

When Todd saw how much of a positive impact this had on his community, he decided to keep it going. Advocates in other towns picked up on the idea and Little Free Libraries began to expand across the country. There are now over 75,000 of them, in all 50 states, and even in 85 countries across the world.

Keep reading... Show less
Family & Home
www.youtube.com

Asperger Actor Finds His Audience! (With A Little Help From Mom)

Jodi Murphy is a marketing specialist, lifestyle journalist and out-of-the-box thinker who works daily to promote self-acceptance and understanding for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. She is also Mom to son Jonathan Murphy, who was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at age 13, but has gone on to become a Bay Area actor, a voice over artist, and a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

Keep reading... Show less
Watch and Subscribe
It's a Positivity Movement
OnlyGood TV on YouTube

mailbox

Get your Only Good TV Newsletter