100 Women Who Care Elkhart County Give To Stable Grounds

News Release

MIDDLEBURY — Seeing the impact of the work at Stable Grounds led Lindsy Diener-Locke to nominate the nonprofit for its second grant from 100 Women Who Care Elkhart County.

Jane Allen, the retired Middlebury Community Schools superintendent who is helping lead and grow Stable Grounds, told the women gathered for the March meeting of the giving circle about what’s happening. The subsequent vote resulted in a $10,000 grant from the women who are part of 100 Women Who Care.

Stable Grounds uses miniature horses and donkeys to provide therapy to young people in need. In its first year, it served more than 600 young people. This school year, more than 700 have worked with therapists and animals on a range of challenging issues. “We had no idea how many desperately need it. And our community supports it,” Allen said.

Diener-Locke, program director of Ryan’s Place and a member of 100 Women, was assisting at a Middlebury school following a death by suicide. She learned how the program was helping staff members cope and a few weeks later nominated it for a grant. Each quarter, women gather and pay $100 to participate in 100 Women Who Care. Nominations are submitted, and three are drawn at random. After short presentations, a vote takes place. The winning nonprofit receives a grant of  $10,000.

This grant will help Stable Grounds as it expands. A second barn is being constructed, which will allow the program to accept students from other districts. More therapists will join Kori Cripe and Becca Snider to help young people. “It will give us an opportunity to serve more kids in Elkhart County,” Allen said.

This is the second 100 Women grant to Stable Grounds. The giving circle’s guidelines allow gifts once every three years.

The next 100 Women Who Care Elkhart County meeting is 5:30-8 p.m., Tuesday, July 11, at Matterhorn Conference Center, 2041 Cassopolis St., Elkhart.