Following the death of her mother, Rhonda Kittredge sought to be around horses. Buying one was out of the question but volunteering at a barn was a possibility.
Her curiosity led her to stumble across Forward Stride, initially starting as a volunteer to feed the horses once a week. Enjoying the experience, she said she was recommended to join a mentor program to work with youth who are currently in the foster system or have recently been adopted. It's one of the many ways the organization has utilized equine therapy to help at-risk youth and people with disabilities.
"It does make a difference," Kittredge said. "You see these kids year after year sometimes, and you can see their growth and their confidence levels are so much better than when they first started."
Kittredge is one of roughly 190 volunteers at Forward Stride, located in Beaverton and serving people primarily in the Portland metropolitan area. Amber Varner, its executive director, and roughly nine others left a previous organization that dissolved and founded the nonprofit in 2003 as a grassroots effort. For at least three years, Varner said she and others worked as volunteers to get it established.
Forward Stride's mission is dedicated to improving lives through personalized programs rooted in equine-assisted activities and therapies. The organization was selected as a beneficiary of The Oregonian/OregonLive's 2024 Season of Sharing holiday fundraising campaign.
> Donate to Forward Stride or the Season of Sharing general fund. You can also Text the code Season2024 to 44-321.
"That's the lens we look at," Varner said. "Is this something that will enhance the quality of life for the human involved?"
Its programs fall under three main areas: equestrian sports which includes horsemanship skills and learning how to ride; physical and occupational therapy as well as mental health services with equine-assisted psychotherapy; and personal development, promoting growth in life skills. Its riding program is the largest, with roughly 140 clients paying for either group or private lessons. It serves both individuals with and without disabilities.
The mentoring program for those in foster or adoptive care, referred to as Working in Tandem, is free for youth ages 6 to 18 for a nine-month period coinciding with the school year. As a mentor for Working in Tandem, Kittredge is one of many volunteers that meets with her mentee for an hour, once a week. They're supervised by a licensed therapist and are assigned the same horse through the duration of the program.
The session is guided by the child or teen, Kittredge said, who can choose to groom the horse, brush or braid their mane. Being around a horse helps them escape from anxieties or frustrations they carry, allowing them to take a moment to relax, she said.
"Sometimes I'll meet with a person, and they get out of the car and they're grumpy, they're frustrated, they're anxious, they're scared, they're crying," Kittredge said. "Sometimes they're just so frustrated, and just being in the presence of a horse brings an overwhelming calmness to them, and it just sort of lets them have a second to relax."
Incredibly important for Kittredge is that the mentees do have choice in their session when much of their life has been out of their control. "The mentorship is to just provide stability for a tiny portion of their week," she said.
Along with stability, Varner said, "it's a place where they get to be themselves without judgment."
Forward Stride's annual budget was roughly $1.3 million in 2021, the latest year for which its tax filing is available. Most of the funds go into staffing and horse care and supplies. The organization has seen great growth in the last decade, more than doubling its revenue since 2015, according to tax records.
Part of that growth has led to different organizations reaching out for their services. In 2019, Forward Stride partnered with Janus Youth Programs to work with residents at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility for a six-week period in the summer. It also works with the Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest.
Leaders of the organization say the extra fundraising will help them continue their life changing programs, including the programs helping at-risk youth.
Forward Stride currently has about 34 employees, a mix of full-time, part-time and seasonal. Most of its revenue in 2021 came from contributions, program fees and fundraising events.
$25: Covers one hour of certified therapeutic riding instructor time for at risk youth programming.
$50: Covers hay for one horse for one month.
$100: Covers the hauling of horses to MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility for therapeutic programming.