Isabelle Summers from Muskoka Turtle Project – START – Saving Turtles at Risk Today centre shows a snapping turtle to Edith Hayes and Shanwan Anika Banchatova./DAVID ZILSTRA Staff

Walkabout and Children’s Foundation receive Rexall grants

By Sue Tiffin

Published Feb. 27 2018

Two organizations supporting youth in the community are being given a bit of a lift toward helping the community thrive.

The Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Foundation received $15000 from the Rexall Foundation to help send 26 youth from this region to camp this summer.

“Our summer camps make available life-enriching experiences with the aim of fostering personal and emotional development” said Deb Aben executive director Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Foundation in a press release.

“The generous donation from the Rexall Foundation will have a powerful impact on the lives of our campers giving them a sense of belonging building confidence promoting respect for nature offering exposure to the arts and encouraging outdoor physical activity.”

Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association Inc. was also the recipient of a $5000 Rexall youth initiatives grant through their charitable partnership with Community Living Trent Highlands.

“We are building on our herd of horses this year and expanding to full-time operations so a portion of the Rexall grant will not only help us to do that but now we can sponsor kids for both private and group sessions with the horses for those who really respond to this approach found in our programs” said Jennifer Semach of Walkabout Farm.

Walkabout Farm offers individualized programs and youth emotional support. While working alongside calming horses participants in the programs thrive by developing skills and learning how to ease depression and anxiety.

“Our therapeutic farm is a safe non-judgmental place where both the individual and families can just come to talk relax and work on their self-esteem leadership qualities stress and self-harm reduction” said Semach.”Social isolation is a problem here in the Highlands because of our high poverty rate so we address that here at Walkabout Farm TRA.”

Semach said she was grateful for the investment in the community to ensure unique programming like therapeutic riding can be accessible for people who might have difficulty affording it.

In 2017 the Rexall Foundation donated over $685000 to 55 charitable organizations that promote the health and wellness of children and seniors. For more information about the Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Foundation visit khcas.on.ca/foundation. For more information about Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association Inc. visit walkaboutfarmtra.com.