Happy Thanksgiving, CV!

Ahead with Horses provides therapy, education and recreation through horses and related experiences to disabled, disadvantaged, at-risk and special-needs children.  Through vaulting (gymnastics on a moving horse), even severely disabled children may learn to lead more independent and productive lives.

At November’s Healthy Start Collaborative meeting, we found out that teens in the JUST (Juvenile Ultimatum Service Training) are doing community service hours at Ahead with Horses. Joyce, a volunteer with Ahead with Horses, read about our meeting in the paper and came to check us out earlier this year. Jackie Baliton, Glendale Youth & Family Services, remembered Joyce and suggested this program to some of her kids. Gilda Davis, L.A. Probation, said they love working there! It makes them feel good to help others, and they find a way to get to Sun Valley! Chalk that up to the powers of collaboration!

If you haven’t heard of the Healthy Start Collaborative, you should. It’s a wonderful meeting attended by people who provide “boots on the ground” help to students and families in need. These are the workers, the ones who get all excited when someone from the Welfare Dept. talks about available programs. They provide jobs, therapy, school counseling, parenting classes and life skills trainings. They can hook a child up with a bus pass or TAP card if they travel outside of Glendale’s Beeline routes. They provide housing, meals, wrap-around care and preschool education. They deal with the big issues: poverty, family trauma and death. A newer member provides free music lessons and membership in a youth orchestra. The library and parks departments are represented, and we hear about all of their free programs. From them I’ve learned to ask if insurance is accepted, what ages are served, what languages are spoken and a whole new language of government acronyms.

They are lovely, fun, good people and I invite you to join us the third Thursday of the month from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at GUSD headquarters, 223 N. Jackson, 91206. We usually meet in room 103. Our next meeting is in January. See you there!

  Suzy JACOBS