'At risk of having to cancel': Program helping kids living with disabilities looking for volunteers

Source: prairiestrides.com

An organization that helps children living with disabilities is asking for volunteers as it tries to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prairie Strides, which was formerly known as Manitoba Riding for the Disabled Association, is trying to find more volunteers to help run its programs.

The organization offers therapeutic horse riding for kids living with disabilities. They offer two, 10-week sessions a year for kids ages five to 15.

Krista Kowaluk, the executive director of Prairie Strides, said the program allows kids to be involved in sport.

"To have that enjoyment of being involved in a program and have something to look forward to each week. To have a social gathering, social involvement," said Kowaluk. "As well as physical benefits, such as increased flexibility, decreased spasticity and just all kinds of therapeutic benefits through interaction with the horse."

She said after COVID, the organization wasn't able to bring back many of its volunteers.

"Through COVID and just with some volunteer retirement, some people being unwell, we have lost more than 70 per cent of our volunteer base. We really need to build that back up to continue to offer this program."

She said volunteers are the reason this program has operated for 40 years and without them, the kids wouldn't be able to participate.

"We're currently in the middle of session. We have about four weeks left of session, and we are actually at risk of having to cancel the last few weeks if we aren't able to secure volunteers. At this point, we desperately need leaders and side-walkers."

Leaders must have experience leading horses while they walk, while side-walkers should be comfortable walking or lightly jogging next to the horse and monitoring the kids as they are led throughout the arena.

Kowaluk said volunteering in this program is incredibly rewarding and brings smiles to kids' faces.

If people are interested in joining the program, they can visit Prairie Strides' website to access an orientation video, as well as a volunteer application form.