SIRE, Houston’s Therapeutic Riding Centers

Rolls-Royce encourages all its employees to participate in community activities as part of its formal Corporate Responsibility initiatives. Each RR location is expected to adopt an environmental or charitable organization to support the local community. The Houston-based Commercial Marine Group selected SIRE Therapeutic Equestrian Centers in August 2007.

From a small office of only 15 employees, seven individuals made the commitment to lead or sidewalk as volunteers for the Fall 2007 semester. Some had little or no knowledge of therapeutic riding, or horses for that matter! Everyone expected the experience to be rewarding, but we had no idea what the real impact would be for us and our organization.

For any company planning to spend thousands on “team building” activities and consultants – we have a more efficient and cost effective solution for you: get your staff involved with SIRE! From just a newly formed group of professionals in Houston, by the end of our first semester, we were a real team. Working together with the horses and clients and instructors at SIRE created a bond between us and a series of shared experiences we brought back to the office.

We have shared the joy of watching our riders get stronger, gain confidence, and it changed our perspective – we collectively know how to distinguish between the trivial and the significant - we know how to discern what is really important. As one staff member recently said, “I’m so very glad to participate, and the smiles on the kids’ faces speak volumes.” This has been a wonderful experience for all of us, and we look forward to future semesters!

Brenda S. Cunningham
Vice President - Finance

SIRE, Houston’s Therapeutic Equestrian Centers provides equine-assisted therapy to children and adults with disabilities. Join our team of dedicated volunteers and help these special riders mount up and leave their disabilities on the ground.

Orientation -
Hockley: Wednesday May 30 6-8PM
Spring: Wednesday May 30 10AM-12PM, 6-8PM
Fort Bend @ Sienna Stables: Wednesday May 30 6-8PM

Training –
Hockley: Saturday June 2 8AM-1PM
Spring: Saturday June 2 8AM-1PM
Fort Bend @ Sienna Stables: Thursday, May 31 10AM-2PM

For more information call:
SIRE Hockley: 281-356-7588 X 209
SIRE Spring: 281-353-6160
SIRE Fort Bend @ Sienna Stables: 281-431-1741

Volunteers at SIRE donate 30,000 hours of their time to our program each year. This is the equivalent of 18 full-time employees with a total salary level of $500,000-$1 million.

By Peggy Wagner, Director of Volunteer Services

If volunteers are the heart of the SIRE program, then Volunteer Coordinators keep that heart beating!

With extraordinary planning, detailed organization and eloquent communication, our Volunteer Coordinators recruit, train and schedule the 200+ volunteers who give their time to SIRE each week.

Two and a half years ago the Volunteer Coordinator position at Hockley became available. Kassie Collins and Penny Kvello decided to share the job. These ladies are the epitome of devotion. You can find them in the office going over papers, in the stall brushing a horse, in the arena side-by-side with their volunteers, and at every special event doing whatever needs doing. Neither wanted to give up her time in the arena, so, in addition to their duties as staff members, they “volunteer” on their days off in order to spend time with the clients and horses that are so dear to their hearts. Thank you, Penny and Kassie!

We thought it was going to be hard to fill the shoes of our SIRESpring Volunteer Coordinator, Cathy Jorgenson, when she moved to Austin in late 2006. But then almost immediately, a Hockley volunteer, Jenny Dorsey, expressed an interest in the job. She brings with her a wealth of experience managing volunteers, as she is the current District Director of 12 chapters of the National Charity League, two-year president of her Cypress Creek NCL chapter, and past PTO President at her daughter’s schools. All this, along with over 900 volunteer hours at SIRE, make her the perfect fit. She, too, will continue to volunteer with her special clients at our Hockley site. Welcome, Jenny!

Susan Young, Heidi Jolly and Melisa Smith very generously donated their time to serve as Volunteer Coordinators for SIREFort Bend in 2006. The future growth of that site necessitated the addition of a part-time Volunteer Coordinator staff position. We are thrilled that Melisa Smith has accepted the job. Melisa brings her experience as a corporate trainer, the proprietor of an aviation insurance company, a riding instructor, and a volunteer with the Tejas Pony Club. Welcome, Melisa!

I, too, started as an arena volunteer at SIRE in 1984. I’ve served in many different capacities over the years, including six years as Hockley Volunteer Coordinator and twelve as a Daily Coordinator. With three locations now, there was a need for consistency among the sites, as well as support for the Volunteer Coordinators; hence, my new job as Director of Volunteer Services was born. I am very excited and honored to be among such a dedicated staff and look forward to being a part of SIRE’s progress and expansion.

On Sunday, January 28th, 2007 volunteers, clients and staff gathered at the Katy Visual Performing Arts Center to celebrate the outstanding dedication and performance of our volunteers and clients in 2006. Over 150 attendees flocked in from the Hockley, Spring and Fort Bend sites to partake in a pot luck banquet and receive awards for a job well done!

The following awards were given to the wonderful folks who contributed both their time and support to make it possible for SIRE to serve riders with disabilities at their facility in 2006.

President’s Award: Pat Roddy
Warren Reininger Memorial Award: Richard “Whitey” White

SIRE Fort Bend @ Sienna Stables
Outstanding Staff Member: Melisa Smith
Horse of the Year: Jesse
Horse Angel: Michelle Crawford
Jr. Volunteer of the Year: William Cary
Volunteer of the Year: Susan Young

SIRE Spring
Outstanding Staff Member: Truman Alexander
Horses of the Year: Rudy & Reggie
Horse Angel: Paul Lamb
Jr. Volunteers of the Year: Sarah Lechmann, Elizabeth Lechmann
Volunteers of the Year: Debbie Forth, Laura Claghorn

SIRE Hockley
Outstanding Staff Member: Karen Abbott
Horse of the Year: Ransom
Bill Ryan Memorial Award: Nancy Coyle
Horse Angel: Cheryl Kersh
Jr. Volunteers of the Year: Zach Gavia-Peyton, Emily Laurel
Volunteer of the Year: Luis Cardenas