Et cetera : AmeriCorps NCCC Cedar 1 Assists Miracles in Motion

By: Alex Johnson

A team of AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) members assisted Miracles in Motion therapeutic equestrian center on two consecutive Saturdays, June 11 and June 18, in Swisher. The NCCC team helped do maintenance work and clean up the facility. The team is great at doing maintenance work thanks to their experience working at the ASPIRE Therapeutic Riding Facility.

Miracles in Motion has recently suffered severe cutbacks and so now has no paid employees, relying solely on volunteers. The Miracles in Motion volunteers greatly appreciate the NCCC team’s help. The NCCC team helped by weeding the garden, digging a drainage ditch, pruning trees, demolishing a fence and of course, as with all facilities with animals, shoveling manure. These seemingly menial tasks are necessary to keep the facility running smoothly. Regular maintenance work helps Miracles in Motion maintain a clean, professional and welcoming atmosphere. Since they had been working at ASPIRE Therapeutic Riding Facility, the team wanted to see a different facility to better understand their field and purpose of work, and use the knowledge they gained on their official project. The volunteers were kind enough to show them their sensory trails so the team would know what the finished product should look like at ASPIRE. NCCC member Monica Hodges said, “Working at Miracles in Motion was a high-five worthy event.” The team enjoyed getting a different perspective on therapeutic riding centers at a different facility.

Miracles in Motion began in 1988 with only six borrowed horses. The program now works with 16 horses, serves over 170 students per year, and is supported by over 180 volunteers. They received an NAHRA (North American Riding for the Handicapped Association) accreditation in 1997 and have a high standard of programs including therapeutic riding. The Miracles in Motion mission statement says, “Miracles in Motion fosters personal achievement by providing diverse equestrian activities with therapeutic, educational and recreational benefits for persons with disabilities.” Cedar 1 was glad to help an organization that plays a unique role in the community and helps so many.