Support Therapeutic Riding for disabled in China

Dear HOPE Family,

Over the last couple months the team has been busy fundraising, running program, and working on professional development. We seem to have created a rhythm that appears to be working for everyone and while the future holds some degree of uncertainty, we are happy to report that things are going well!

Tencent 99, a huge online fundraising event, was a great success for HOPE this year! Luna and Lucia worked extremely hard to develop and implement a plan to expand HOPE's outreach and recognition in China. They recruited over 150 equestrians throughout China to create a fundraiser for HOPE for the event. They also connected with actors and producers, who developed a promotional video to recruit new donors for HOPE during the event (link can be found below). 

One of the most remarkable achievements was organizing and conducting a live video event in which the HOPE Tencent Ambassador and one of our HOPE participants each had a mini lesson. HOPE Board Member JoJo Wong hosted the event and provided a wonderful commentary, while Lucia taught the lessons and Luna orchestrated behind the scenes. Overall, it was a truly remarkable achievement and was done flawlessly! 

Now that program is back in full swing, the HOPE Team in China is busy as ever. Lucia, with the help of Xiao Zhao and Mr. Wang, average 10 lessons a week and are starting to combine private lessons into semiprivate groups of two riders. This will allow the program to gradually add more participants in the coming months.

With this growth we need to consider our instructor, horse, and volunteer resources to ensure that all lessons remain safe and effective. Lucia has really excelled at matching riders into appropriate groups that work well together, where riders find more joy and satisfaction when working together. 

We have had many changes to our lesson calendar this year, yet we are hopeful that the consistency we have seen over the last few months will remain through the fall. As you can see, everyone has been busy, and things are moving forward. We are so thankful for your continued support and dedication to HOPE, our participants, horses, and staff.

Thank you,

The HOPE Team

Links:

• Tencent 99 Fundraising Videos
• HOPE 10 Year Anniversary Video

Can you believe it is almost the end of July? We want to thank you for supporting our new project on GlobalGiving and for your dedication to HOPE during this tumultuous time. Over the past couple months, HOPE has been working towards a new normal of operation and we have been paying close attention to how we can continue to serve our participants while keeping everyone (participants, staff and horses) safe and healthy.

After monitoring the recommendations of the government in Beijing towards the resumption of outdoor activities, in May we very slowly and gradually started serving individuals in unmounted activities. In June, we started a few mounted sessions, before having to shut down again. Luckily, after a brief hiatus we have once again begun lessons, and we are so thankful. 

Lucia, our Assistant Program Director has been working hard to provide new and continued training to our volunteers to prepare them for lessons, while doing a great job teaching, training, and keeping things moving forward for the program. Luna, our Business Operations Manager has been working to find new fundraising opportunities, while ensuring that HOPE is up to date on all government policies and procedures. We also recently hired a long time HOPE Volunteer, Xiao Zhao to help with training the horses and he is working with Mr. Wang, our Stable Assistant, on his horse handling skills. 

While this year continues to provide many challenges, we are thankful to have such a strong and passionate team that strives to move forward every day to provide services to those that need them. We are thankful for your support, dedication and commitment to our mission and the services that we provide.

Thank you,

The HOPE Team

Links:

• HOPE Facebook Page
• HOPE Website