(upbeat music) - Hello, neighbors.

Welcome to "Look for the Helpers: Portraits in Community Service."

I'm your host, Cynthia Tyler.

For as long as people have lived together, there have been those who've been inspired to give freely of themselves in order to make peoples' lives better.

Volunteers have provided the creation and foundation for so many nonprofit organizations and groups, truly becoming the beating heart of the community through their tireless and selfless efforts.

Today, we take time to honor and learn about two of our many local volunteers.

Jessica Sheldon is the founder of FAITH Riding Center in Watertown.

An occupational therapist, she helps children and adults of all abilities connect and heal through horseback riding and horsemanship.

Transplant recipient Theresa Whalen-Witjes has volunteered her time for over 13 years with the Transplant Advocate Association in Kingston, Ontario.

Please join me as we celebrate our local volunteers.

(upbeat music continues) I'm here with Jessica Sheldon from the FAITH Riding Center.

Thank you so much for being with us, Jessica.

How are you today?

- I'm great, how are you?

- Very well, thank you.

And so you operate the FAITH Riding Center, which is a center stable for disabled children to experience horseback riding.

Now, obviously, horses must be a very huge part of your life.

How long have you been horseback riding?

- I have been involved with horses since I was about four years old, so long time.

(laughing) - Four years old, that is.

That's wonderful.

So it's second nature to you.

- Yes.

- So when was it that you decided that horses and kids that had challenges would be a good fit?

- So when I was a junior in high school, my grandfather had a stroke.

And he went through all of the rehab and everything, and I was with him every day.

And he loved to putter, build things with his hands, and he lost that ability when he had a stroke.

And the OTs, occupational therapists, that kind of spearheaded him getting his occupations, what he loves to do, back, that was kind of my, "Okay, I wanna be an OT."

And then I'm like, "How do I combine horses and OT?"

And I was watching an old show where they used to rebuild after people had injuries or something detrimental.

And they rebuilt a therapeutic riding center for this man.

And I was like, "Oh, bingo, that's what I wanna do."

- Oh, that's so exciting.

- Here we are.

(laughing) - That's really.

- Yeah.

- So you have, how many horses do you have at the FAITH Riding Center?

- We have three.

- Okay.

- Three boys.

(laughing) - I understand that one of them, Thor, is quite the character.

- Yes.

He's wild.

- And everybody really enjoys Thor.

- Yep.

- So now, what kind of volunteer work have you done in the past besides horseback riding?

Has volunteering always been a big part of your life?

- Yep, I've always been in different things in the community, working, volunteering with children when it was back summer rec once I was old enough to help out with that.

And just, my mom babysat children, and she babysat a boy with autism.

And I kind of watched how she worked with him, and just, it all kinda pieced together through high school and everything.

And I had an opportunity to volunteer at a center through college.

I was like, "All right, I'm living in Utica.

A city's not really my thing."

And I found a therapeutic riding center, and I was able to kind of run their lessons.

And that was kind of how I got my how to run things for the horseback riding.

- Wow, fantastic.

- So, yeah.

- That's excellent.

Now, do you have volunteers that work with you at the center?

- Yep, I have three or four usually on rotation to help with lessons and help kind of keep the barn up and running, get the different games going, keep the tack clean.

(laughing) - [Cynthia] Go out and get their hands dirty.

- Oh yes.

(laughing) - That's, yes.

'Cause, I mean, it's all about what skills you can give.

So if you were looking for a volunteer, what would you say to them to say, "Well, this is a good fit for you.

This is what we're looking for."

So if it's somebody that just like to get their hands into the goodness of animals and all of that.

Yeah?

- Yep.

We have opportunities for people who may not wanna work directly with the people we serve, but they may wanna help clear grounds or set up for different events that we do or groom the horses, get to know them.

Or we have the more hands-on, helping with the lessons, sidewalking, leading the horses, helping brush and tack up and get right into it.

- Fantastic.

So the idea of working with disabled children, you have a background in that, correct?

- Yes, occupational therapy.

- Occupational therapy, so you went to school for this.

- Yep.

- And you learned all about that.

Now, what are some of the challenges that you've found that come with working with disabled children in this sort of setting?

- The communication piece has been the trickiest.

It's kind of the balance between pushing them just enough to wanna do something outside of their comfort zone, but keeping it so they can trust me and that I'm not ever going to make them do something they are not comfortable doing.

- Right, you gotta make sure that the boundaries are there, that, you know, the kid knows that they're in charge.

- Yep.

- That's, yep.

- I just tell them, "You're safe with me.

Just do what you want to do.

Do what you can," so.

- Very, that's.

So I understand that there's a very special young man who has developed (Jessica laughing) a very special attachment to one of your horses named Thor.

- Yep.

(laughing) - Can you tell us about that?

- So I have had this little boy whose name is Noah.

He started with me when he was around five years old.

And he still rides with us every week.

And he was pretty terrified and really anxious when he first started coming.

And I remember talking to his mom after his first couple of lessons, and she said, "It's like his body just turns off afterwards.

He can just kind of exist and feel things."

And it was just, it's been really cool to see his progression through.

Because now, he's riding a horse who is six-foot tall at his back and eight-foot at the top of his head.

And he gets on there, no saddle, just the, it's called a surcingle.

It's like a giant handle.

And he goes and he rides completely independently now, and it's just incredible.

(laughing) - That is incredible.

I don't think I could get on a six-foot tall horse (Jessica laughing) and do that.

That's amazing.

- He's huge.

- So what has it meant to you personally to have seen that, witness that, and helped see that sort of situation happen?

- It's just awesome to be a part of that growth and seeing those changes.

And a lotta times, people with unique needs are really routine.

They stick to what they know and they don't wanna vary at all from it.

And being able to kind of instill that change and that transition to that outside thinking, like, "Maybe this is terrifying, but maybe I can do it."

And showing them that they can is really, really awesome.

(Jessica laughing) - Oh that, so now, this only serves children in the community, correct?

It's not for adults?

It's just for- - I have a couple adults.

- Okay.

- It's mainly children, but I do have a few adults that come and ride each week.

- Okay.

(Jessica laughing) - Very, yes, well, I mean, I would be one of those people that would need help getting over the fear of that.

- It's a big thing, I get it.

- Absolutely.

- They're animals.

- Yes.

All right, so Jessica, obviously, buying the farm, that's a really big deal.

How did you find the farm?

How did you get that?

- So we built it.

We were looking for a house.

We found a house with a bunch of property, and it's actually right across the street from our home, which is super handy.

- Yeah.

- And there was nothing.

It was just a field.

And we, I sat down and drew up a blueprint, had a few of my engineer friends look at it.

And I said, "Is this gonna work?"

And then we built it and we, day after day after work, and took us about two weeks- - Two weeks to put- - To build.

- A whole riding center together.

(Jessica laughing) That's amazing.

Absolutely fantastic.

And where did you get the horses from?

How did Thor come into the picture?

- So Thor is a rescue from Oklahoma.

He came from Richmond Ridge.

A lotta people know about Brynn and her story.

So he is one of the horses that came to her farm in Henderson first.

- Wow.

- And I kind of, I went to look at a horse for a friend, and I spotted Thor and I'm like, "Can I meet him?"

And he was about 500 pounds underweight, skin and bones, and I went out into the pasture to just meet him, say hi.

He came over and he put his head on my shoulder and he just hung his head there.

And they were like, "He just chose you.

(laughing) Like you have to have him."

So that's how Thor came about.

- That's amazing.

- And the other two were gifts from people that I grew up riding horses with, that the horses kind of needed a different job or needed to retire.

So Cherokee and Spencer are gifts.

(laughing) - Cherokee and Spencer and Thor.

- Yes.

- What a trio, fantastic.

- Yes.

- And now are Cherokee and Spencer, are they as large as Thor?

Or were they?

- No, they're about a foot, foot and a half shorter than him.

- Okay.

So a little less intimidating.

- Yeah.

They're normal.

- I might be able.

- Normal sized horse.

(laughing) - Normal (laughing) sized horses.

- They're not giants.

(laughing) - No, that's amazing.

Now, did you have any issues with acclimating the horses to the area?

They obviously must have just been really happy to have this new life and this new job.

Did the horses themselves enjoy it?

- They're such good boys.

You can kind of do anything with them.

I've been very, very lucky and very blessed to have them, because not all horses tolerate it.

I mean, it's different having someone up on them who's wiggling around or kicking and yelling and screeching and doing all sorts of things.

And they just kind of plod around like, "All right, we're doing this."

(Jessica laughing) - They were meant to be.

- Yes, they're awesome.

- That's wonderful.

- They are really the roots of the riding center.

- That's awesome, very, very cool.

Have you had any challenges getting volunteers to come out and help you at the center?

- I have.

We have kind of a different schedule.

We don't work every single day of the week.

So finding people that can kind of come when we have lessons or people that you can trust in the community too.

It's like, come out, see the center, check it out.

Just kinda getting on that same schedule and linking up that way.

- Right.

What kinda time commitment is that?

- It's just a couple hours each day.

We run, like in the summer, we run lessons from 8:30 in the morning 'til 11:00.

And then we're done for the rest of the day.

But I can be flexible to what people need too.

If they can only come in the evening, sure, come help out with chores or anything like that.

- Right, very cool.

Now, as you've seen all of these children go beyond their limits, how would you want to expand your service at FAITH Riding Center?

Do you have a vision for the future for what you would like this to become?

- I would like it to be a year-round thing.

Right now, we kinda close down during the icy months because nobody wants to go ride a horse (laughing) when it's icy and cold and 20 below.

Eventually, we'd like to cover the arena and kind of, not necessarily expand how many horses or anything, but just expand the availability too.

Because if you have a roof, you can have lights and you can, at five o'clock in the winter, it's okay, 'cause it's dark, but we have lights.

But right now, we just kinda go with the north country.

(laughing) - [Cynthia] Yes, that's very true.

We all have to do that.

- Yes.

- What are the words that you would use to inspire somebody to volunteer, to say, "You know what, just go out and volunteer?"

What would you say to inspire them?

- Just come try it.

Try something new and just have an open mind to things.

It's very rewarding.

It really is, even just from the animal aspect and all the way to working with our riders.

- Well, that is a very good way to do that, absolutely.

Now, we're gonna wrap this up with the idea that you're going through all of this work, you're working so hard in this volunteer effort, and sometimes, you know, we just get bogged down.

Sometimes we just have those blue days.

What's a really special memory that you always draw on to help keep inspiring you and help keep you going forward?

- It would be just seeing the faces of the parents of the riders.

It's no one specific memory, but just seeing them realize, "My child can do something completely out of their normal box."

And it just kinda keeps me going every day.

- That's absolutely fantastic.

Now, there's other ways to volunteer besides just being on the ground.

You're obviously looking for donations.

Where can the community reach out to you if they wanna donate time or they wanna donate money?

Where can they find out information on the FAITH Riding Center?

- We're right on Google.

We have a Facebook page and we have a normal website.

My email and phone number are on both of those pages.

And we love just to tell people about what we do too, because a lot of people have no idea what horseback riding with the disabled community really entails.

- Right, right.

So would you need items that are like, can they donate a bale of hay?

- Sure.

(laughing) - Can they donate like?

So it's not just money that people can use to help support you.

- Right.

- But it can be items or anything like that.

And they can follow- - Yeah.

- Your website and your Facebook page to learn more.

- Yes, we, a lot of our kiddos, I say a lot, a few of our kiddos are lower-income or they come from big families or foster families where they don't necessarily have a ton of resources.

So riding boots, helmets, those are always things that we will take.

Because sometimes kids'll show up in Crocs and I've gotta throw a pair of boots on them.

(laughing) - Oh, well, that's wonderful that you're allowing accessibility from not only just their abilities, but from every walk of life.

- Yep.

- That's really, really fantastic.

Thank you so much for being with us today, Jessica.

We are so grateful that you could stop in and spend some time with us.

And we wish you success in all your future endeavors.

- Thank you very much.

(laughing) (upbeat music) - I am with Theresa Whalen-Witjes today, a 12-year member of the Transplant Advocate Association of Kingston, Ontario.

Thank you so much for being with us here today, Theresa.

- Oh, thank you for having me.

- It's very nice to meet you.

- Nice to meet you.

- So excited to hear about this because I actually have some personal family history with transplants, and my cousin is actually one of the oldest living heart recipients in the United States and in the world.

So got that back in the '80s.

- Wow.

- So it's a family thing.

So when I found out you were coming today, I was very excited to hear your story about this.

So you are, in fact, yourself a transplant recipient, correct?

- I am.

- Okay.

- I am.

- Now, how did that inspire your volunteer journey?

- Well, I had always been volunteering.

I was working full-time, actually, but I, you know, I often, I play at a church and I volunteer there.

And I've always had a bit of a volunteer spirit, I guess, to try to help others.

But when I got sick in the '90s and found out that I would one day need a transplant, that's where the journey begins.

And after I had my transplant in 2013, I really struggled.

I was terrified.

I didn't wanna tell anyone how much I was struggling because I was so incredibly grateful to be given this gift.

So my mom dragged me to (laughing) this Transplant Advocate Association group.

And she left me there.

And I listened to these people and their stories, and it so normalized everything that I was going through, everything that I was feeling.

And all of a sudden, I had a place where I belonged and I felt comfortable and I felt safe.

And when you have a transplant, I mean, clearly, you're not gonna give it back.

- (laughing) No.

- But you can pay it forward.

- Wow.

- And that is really what inspired me to get involved in this group.

And I have continued.

It is my passion now to help other people that are going through that transplant process, because it is incredibly overwhelming.

And you can't, for me, I didn't wanna read about it.

I didn't wanna know about it.

Many people will walk in and have everything, you know, read and prepared, and I was too afraid to read and know.

And I said, "I'll face everything as it comes," which I did.

But it was wonderful to have the support, and it's wonderful.

It's absolutely amazing to be able to help other people.

- Well now, see, that community, of all places, in a coffee shop.

I understand that that's actually the history on the web page is that they're three friends that met by chance in a coffee shop.

And you sat down and you talked about it.

What kind of community situation, the feeling that you get from community, what does that mean to you when you're working as a volunteer, when you've got those other kinds of like-minded people?

- That's the thing.

It's being able to volunteer, being able to be with.

This community has become a family to me.

We all become, we're very unique in the fact that there aren't a lot of people out there that have had transplants.

Not a lot of people know about it.

Not a lot of people understand what it is to have a transplant.

So being able to work with anyone, especially in the earlier stages of the transplant process, you're able to help them prepare and take the fear away.

It means so much to me to be able to give that back when I received so much from them in the beginning of my journey.

- Because it gave you a better quality of life.

- Absolutely, yeah.

- Getting that education.

- Now, it wasn't, I will clarify, it wasn't me that was one of the three friends that met in the coffee shop.

- [Cynthia] Okay.

- That happened a little bit before me.

We actually just, Transplant Advocate Association just celebrated their 20 years.

- 20 years, excellent.

- Yeah, this summer.

- And how amazing that you've seen the technology grow and develop.

Now, have you noticed- - Absolutely.

- That the awareness for transplant need, people obviously are always going to need transplants and organ donations, have you seen an impact from your community work and your volunteer work on the community at-large about transplant awareness?

- We work quite tirelessly.

COVID derailed us a little bit, and we were, because we're all immunosuppressed, we weren't able to get out in the community- - That's right.

- And do the work that we want to do.

So we, it almost felt like we were starting over again last year when we finally started to get back out into the community.

But that is one of our goals in the group is to get out and dispel a lot of the myths that are out there about transplants and to encourage people to register to be organ donors, to show them exactly what it is that comes out of organ donation.

Most of us that volunteer are either caregivers or organ recipients ourselves.

We have lung recipients, kidney recipients, liver recipients, heart recipients.

So we're all able to answer questions about it.

And we truly encourage people to register as organ donors.

I know since I've been in the group, we've raised the numbers in Kingston up to about 51% of people are registered, I think.

- That's outstanding.

- Yeah.

- Excellent.

- Yeah.

- Very cool.

Very wonderful.

- We're doing well.

- Now, obviously, you've all been given the gift of life in this organization.

And I imagine that that is one of the most truly inspiring things a volunteer can have is the gift of life.

But what are some of the challenges that you face in your volunteer work?

- One of our biggest challenges is gaining new members and getting our name out there.

We're a small organization.

We're just, eh, anywhere from 20 to 40, 40-plus, a little bit members.

Getting our name out.

We cover an area from Peterborough all the way to Prescott and above up to Lanark.

We have a huge area, and letting people know who we are and what we do is quite a big challenge for us.

We use social media.

We use newspaper ads.

We use whatever we can get to get our name out there, but it is quite a challenge.

And we're a small group.

- Yeah.

It is definitely a challenge- - So it's- - When there is that small amount.

- That's right.

- Now, what are words that you would use to inspire others to volunteer?

What would you say to somebody to say, "Go out and volunteer?"

- Wow.

For me, personally, volunteering has brought me a sense of purpose, a sense of self-worth.

It has brought me so much joy to see others benefit from everything that we're able to help with.

I think volunteering is one of the truly most selfless things you can do.

And in volunteering, you're helping other people.

It's not just for you.

It's not for you at all, but you gain the benefit, regardless.

- Absolutely, it's almost like getting the gift of life twice.

- Exactly.

- Because you got life and it's been enriched even further by giving back.

- That's right.

- And that's absolutely wonderful.

- Mm hmm.

- Now, can you tell us a little bit about how somebody gets involved in volunteering for your organization?

Where do they go?

What do they sign up for?

- So volunteering with us would mean possibly going out in the community and speaking at meetings or volunteering at a booth that we might have out in the community somewhere.

We also, through the Ontario Gaming Commission, we volunteer at bingos.

It's the Ontario Charitable Gaming Association.

And by volunteering at bingos, we are able to gain some funds that we can use to help others going through the transplant process.

So we need volunteers for our bingos.

We need volunteers for everything that we do.

And to get involved, you can contact us through info@transplant advocateassociation.ca, on our website at transplant advocateassociation.ca, or simply there's a phone number, give us a call, and leave us a message and we'll get back.

- Fantastic.

- And we'll put you to work.

- Oh, wonderful.

Now, I'm gonna wrap this up with asking you, there's a lot of great things that happen when you volunteer, a lotta special memories, but when you find yourself struggling, what is a very special memory that you have that inspires you and keeps you moving forward?

- It was that first day that I went to the very first meeting.

And I met all these wonderful people that welcomed me and made me feel like I wasn't alone anymore and that I could, I felt like a part of that community.

I felt like everything I was going through was gonna be okay.

And it makes me want to do this every day of my life.

And I will until I drop, until I can't do it anymore.

- That is absolutely wonderful.

Thank you so much, Theresa, we really, really appreciate you being here.

And thank you so much for your service, and we wish you continued success in all of your endeavors.

- Thank you so much for having me.

(upbeat music) - It's a reminder that bears repeating.

No one achieves anything alone.

The world needs help, and even the smallest amount of help can change the course of a life.

We hope that you're inspired to go out into our world and become the helper that we all look for.

Thanks for watching.

(upbeat music continues) (logo chiming)