Animal Therapy Programs Benefit Georgia Community in Several Ways

Las Vegas, NV, November 17, 2009 --(PR.com)-- What started out as an historic horse park evolved into an equestrian facility that serves the community in several ways.

Besides its main focus – therapeutic programs for students with mental or physical disabilities – Chastain Horse Park in Atlanta, Georgia, also has programs for children from the inner-city and children at-risk, boarding services and riding lessons for the general public. The Park is also an active supporter of the Horses for Heroes program, which provides therapeutic equestrian programs to the injured military returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Executive Director Amy Lance redeveloped Chastain Horse Park in 1997. After entirely new construction, it opened in the summer of 1999, and has only increased its reach into the community.

In 1999, for the Miracles Happen event, the late Christopher Reeve was the guest of honor. He said in his speech, “Chastain Horse Park will be a monument to the fact that our cities must be more than brick and glass and sidewalks. There must be a variety of life going on inside.”

ActionCOACH Business Coach Angela Whalley is someone who is just as passionate about Chastain Horse Park and all it does for the community.

“Chastain Horse Park combines my passionate love for causes supporting children and animals,” Whalley said. “When you see the smiles on the students’ faces as they encounter the horses and learn to ride, despite their disabilities, you cannot help but get passionate.”

Whalley is now getting further involved with Chastain Horse Park by coaching them – for free.

As part of an ActionCOACH initiative, Coaching for a Cause, ActionCOACH Business Coaches all over the world are coaching charities and non-profits, helping them leverage themselves and conduct better, more efficient business practices within their organizations. This will lead to more successful non-profits and charities. The overall goal of the program is to raise at least an additional $2.5M in donations and finds within six months, beginning October 1, 2009.

Whalley is coaching Lance, and although they determined their primary goal is increasing donations, they also plan to work on improving time management and systems. Chastain Horse Park relies heavily on donations and volunteer support from the community. However, community donations have decreased in recent months, making it harder to provide the programs so desperately needed.

“Having an ActionCOACH Business Coach will help us identify better ways to raise money and become more productive –this is perhaps, the medicine we need,” says Amy Lance

Whalley is excited about donating her time to help Chastain Horse Park improve its success.

“I think it’s outstanding that ActionCOACH has stepped up to help when charities and non-profits really need it,” Whalley said about Coaching for a Cause. “Every coach should get involved.”

Coaching for a Cause is an innovative new program from ActionCOACH, the world’s number one business and executive coaching firm that makes pro-bono coaching available to charities and non-profits worldwide.

To learn more, go to coachingforacause.org or subscribe to RSS news feeds at news.actioncoach.com.

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