DECEMBER NEWS FROM THE BARN
High Hopes fosters a vibrant community where horse and human interactions improve lives.
As the shortest days of the year approach, all of us at High Hopes are working hard to keep the smiles bright! We remain vigilant, taking every precaution to create a safe environment for participants and volunteers alike. With the approaching holidays and preparations to celebrate in individual and meaningful ways, we wish all of our participants, volunteers and donors a season of love and joy. 

Through the thoughtful generosity of a donor, we have established The Gift of Warmth Fund. This fund supports our immediate High Hopes family (participants, families, and volunteers) by providing food, clothing, or bedding during this season. If you need help to stay warm, please reach out to me directly, kstalsburg@highhopestr.org or (860) 434-1974 x 113. 

Celebrating kindness and joy!

Be well,
Kitty
'TIS THE SEASON OF THANKS & GIVING
In a year filled with challenges for so many, High Hopes is grateful for all the generous support we have received. 

Now as we look toward the new year with increasing hope, please consider these unique ways of supporting High Hopes during the holiday season.


Holiday Wish Tree
Have a favorite horse you’d like to support? 
Or want to make a gift in honor of the entire herd? Click the link below and pick an ornament from the tree with your horse's name, or choose from a present beneath the tree. Our equine friends will thank you!
Adopt-A-Horse
Another way of supporting an equine is to “adopt” one for a year. Your support will help provide the love, care, hay, grain and veterinary services your horse deserves. We will put your name, or that of a loved one, on your adopted horse’s stall, and we welcome visits (just remember to bring carrots!).
Annual Appeal
Gifts to High Hopes’ annual appeal ensure we have the manpower, and horsepower, needed to provide critical services to over 170 participants each week. Our particpants face many challenges, including financial ones. Your support helps keep our fees affordable and provides much needed financial aid.
Charitable IRA Rollovers
(QCD or qualified charitable distribution)
If you are 70 ½ or older, you can contribute up to $100,000 tax-free from a traditional IRA to High Hopes without being subject to federal income taxes on the distribution. The gift must be made directly from the custodian of your IRA to High Hopes. Your rollover gift will be excluded from your gross income, and it counts toward your required minimum distribution (RMD).

Gifts of Appreciated Stock
When you make a gift of appreciated stocks your gift amount is the current market value of those stocks (as determined by IRS rules) and you avoid capital gains tax when the stocks are transferred directly to High Hopes.
For more information about these plans, and the other ways of supporting High Hopes, please contact Sara Qua, Development Director at squa@highhopestr.org or by calling
860-434-1974.
High Hopes would also like to express our deepest thanks and appreciation to the donors and volunteers who helped us get through a challenging 2020 with our program as strong as ever. Please take a moment to read the 2019/2020 Annual Report below.
THANKFUL FOR OUR VOLUNTEERS
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT:
Nathan and Zane Bauer

Zane's favorite foods are cheeseburgers and french fries. The best day ever includes hiking at Bushy Hill and catching snakes. The best part of volunteering at High Hopes is seeing how excited the riders are to be there. My favorite thing to do at High Hopes is getting to know the riders! I will miss High High hopes when I go off to college next year.

Nathan's favorite food is Mexican food. The best day ever is going to a professional or college soccer game with my family. My favorite thing to do at High Hopes is chatting with the riders & volunteers and spending time with the horses. We have been volunteering at High Hopes for about five or six years and have really enjoyed our time there.
A big thanks to new 1,000-hour volunteer Andrea Daunis
Congratulations and thank you to Andrea Daunis for sharing 1,000 hours of her time with High Hopes! Andrea has been a staple on both the feeding team and program team since she began volunteering with us in 2016. Andrea is passionate, enthusiastic, dedicated to learning, and always willing to help. Andrea volunteers alongside her husband Mike on Thursday evenings where they are leaders and ELP Coaches. Thank you Andrea for your support!
EQUINE LEARNING PROGRAM
In addition to our riding and carriage driving lessons, High Hopes offers unmounted lessons through our Equine Learning Program (ELP). ELP curricula are cultivated based on the specific needs and goals of the participants involved. Lessons may be private, semi-private, or small group, and generally lesson plans vary and build on each other from week to week.

A wide variety of participants can be served through the Equine Learning Program:

  • Adolescents or adults who need a sense of purpose, community, or belonging.
  • People with significant fear or anxiety that would benefit from slowing things down
  • People with difficult life experiences seeking ways to increase self-esteem and perception of self worth.
  • People who simply are interested in working with horses in a different modality. 

High Hopes has offered Equine Learning Programs with a focus on Memory Care, Character Development, Youth Empowerment, Job Skills Training, Veterans, Domestic Violence, and Substance Use/Abuse, and we are happy to collaboratively create new curricula to serve other populations. Currently, we serve nearly 30 individuals and several community organizations through our Equine Learning Program.

In Spring 2021, we look forward to another phase of our Reins of Empowerment Program which serves teens in local towns and aims to build confidence, community connection, and self-esteem. If you have questions about our Equine Learning Program, please contact Chelsea Bourn, Program Director, at cbourn@highhopestr.org
It was a difficult decision to cancel our annual in-person, one-day Holiday Market, which is always a festive gathering spot for us to celebrate community, small businesses, partnership, and the important work of High Hopes. With so many disappointing cancellations in 2020, the Virtual Holiday Market may not be what we envisioned or wanted, but it was the Market we needed. The Virtual Holiday Market was a great success with over 70 participating vendors, some old friends and many new. High Hopes could not have pulled this off without the help and support of our business partners, in particular: 

  • Our lead business partner, Benchmark Wealth Management, for their commitment to our community.
  • The talented design team at Julia Balfour, LLC, who created a one-of-a-kind shopping directory.
  • The social media mavens at Dreamscapes Marketing & Design who ensured the Market attracted broad attention.
We look forward to once again gathering in our indoor arena filled with the best small businesses and local artisans November 14, 2021 – Save the Date!
High Hopes is thrilled to announce the winners of the annual raffle, sponsored in part by Reynolds' Subaru, pulled at the conclusion of the Virtual Holiday Market Sunday, November 29th.

Congratulations!

Thank you to all who purchased raffle tickets. Your participation in the raffle supported the program & participants of High Hopes during this challenging time.
(860) 434-1974 | HIGHHOPESTR.ORG