Our Program Sessions

Schedule a session form: This is a PDF That must be saved and printed out from your computer (click on link to access form)

One Heart-One heart, many hands is our motto here and it is our goal to carry this out within our program sessions.

One heart=one vision; many hands=our many wonderful volunteers.

Together, it is our purpose to provide a safe, & fun environment for children, horses and families to experience restored Hope, healing, encouragement & acceptance within a Christ, faith centered environment. In each session, through a variety of activities, there is one main purpose, Mentor the Child.

We do this by inviting children to come just as they are. The leaders will work hard to pair kids with an activity or horse that will encourage them toward hope and personal growth.

All activities will be chosen at the discretion of each individual leader. Some of these activities involve working with/riding horses, crafts, games, chores, and life skills.  A secondary goal of our program sessions is to educate kids in equine care and safety. All activities with the children are structured to uphold our Primary goal of creating a safe, loving environment to mentor children.

Requirements for Participation: Our program session is open to all “at risk”/troubled children, ages 7-17.  On occasion, based on need, age exceptions will be considered. The only other “requirement” is that the child wants to come & participate.  Hope’s Haven understands that every child deals with his/her own set of unique challenges. Each session leader will work hard to adapt the session to meet the individual needs of each child.

Hope’s Haven is not a residential facility. Therefore, the majority of children in our program live in close proximity to the farm.  If you do not live nearby and would like to participate, please inform us of your travel plans at least one month in advance. If space is available, out-of-town guests will be worked into the program  schedule.

While we do not wish to turn away any child, there are a limited number of sessions available each month. Although we cannot guarantee a session for every child who wants one, Hope’s Haven will do their best to accommodate as many participants as possible.

Daily Schedule:  Hope’s Haven program season begins 1st week of May and will typically conclude the end of October.  The number of sessions available per month will depend on the number of staff/volunteers we have on hand.

Tues/Thursday:  6:00-7:30 pm (may vary due to weather or temperature extremes).

EO Saturday:  10-11:30 am

Session Components: The overall goal of our program sessions is to offer love and encourage children toward finding restored hope and acceptance.  This process takes on many unique forms. However, there are some unique components that are generally included in each session.

–Chores:  Almost every session will consist of a small chore that both leader and child pair will complete at the beginning of each session.  This time will not only teach responsibility, but also will teach the importance of doing for others and giving through the work of their own hands.  Often this opportunity allows children to witness that their efforts do make a difference to those around them. It also enables leaders to better understand each child each day, and help them gain insight for the best use of their time.

-Working with horses:  The majority of children who want to come to Hope’s Haven do so because they are drawn to the horses. These kids will learn to correctly handle, groom, tack up, ride, and even vet care during their sessions.  Again, each session depends on the specific needs of the child and of the horse on that particular day.

-Crafts:  For those who do not wish to spend time with the horses, Hope’s Haven has a variety of craft options for child and leader to use. One option is “horse painting.”  Hope’s Haven horses come in all sizes and colors. Are gentle and make great canvases for those who do not wish to ride. Another option is rock painting. We have many sizes and shapes of smooth rocks for kids to paint and the children love creating animals & other scenes on the rocks.  We hope to make a rock garden in the near future so we can display all the many painted rocks the children created, as well as those crafted with encouraging words & bible verses. This special place will be called “Hope’s Garden.”

Play: Many times, the most valuable time in a child’s life is allowing for and encouraging growth and learning through play. Many children may choose to spend their entire session time whole-heartedly engaging in interactive games. One such game we utilized this Summer, was a fun-filled water balloon fight.  The kids enjoyed filling the balloons with water and what a great way to release any stress and cool off at the same time.

Cost: By God’s grace, Hope’s Haven has and will (hopefully) continue to offer its programs completely free of charge. So far this year, we’ve been blessed by our incredible family of donors and sponsors throughout PA, who committed funds to support what the Lord is doing through Hope’s Haven.

Clothing and Equipment Requirements & Recommendations:

    -Shoes/boots with closed toes and closed heels are required. Shoes/boots with little or no tread and a heel are recommended. (sometimes we may have

Some extras on hand, so let us know if you don’t have this type of shoe/boot).

-Long pants are recommended for riding.

-Nothing is permitted to be hanging down from the neck or around the waistline while riding.

-During cooler Spring/Fall days, layered clothing is recommended.

-To promote individual responsibility, we recommend and encourage each child to bring his/her own water bottle, sunscreen (and bug spray, if needed).

Release Form: This is a PDF That must be saved and printed out from your computer (click on link to access form).