More and more, it is becoming widely accepted that animals have the ability to help people through tough times. Being that we have a beautiful ranch on Long Island that is home to many animals, namely gorgeous horses, we took an opportunity to partner up with the Northport VA and the Long Island Veteran’s Home to see if interacting with these animals could have positive effects on the veterans they support.
Our contact at the Northport VA wrote us a letter, and we could not have been more thrilled to hear what she had to say.
“On behalf of Recreation Therapy Service, Veterans and staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Northport, NY, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation for the continued dedication to the Veterans throughout this past year. It has been, and will continue to be, our sincere pleasure to work with you.
Thank you for the wonderful experience your program provided for our Veterans. Shannon is a great instructor and makes the sessions fun and informative. One Veteran who rarely comes out of his room was waiting every Tuesday by the door for the trip to the ranch. The Veterans who attended talked about it for days. The staff and Veterans enjoyed the program this year and look forward to starting again in the spring. They haven’t stopped asking when we will be going back.
It is the support from organizations like yours that enhance and fulfill .recreation therapy programs and Veterans’ quality of life with the “extra touch” from volunteers. From the VAMC Veterans and staff we cannot thank you enough for your commitment to the Veterans, continuous energy, and dependability.”
Click HERE to learn more about our Veteran Services!
