Tuesday, August 2 - Special Needs School visits Riley’s Place
Farewell to Millie
It is with deep sorrow and broken hearts that we share the sad news of Millie's passing.
Millie joined our Riley's Place family from the Peninsula Humane Society in April 2011. In the short time she spent with us, Millie touched our hearts, and the hearts of the many children she visited.
Her sweet, gentle, serene and loving nature are missed!
Sunday, July 17- Redwood Family House visits Riley’s Place
Tuesday, July 26 - Special Needs School visits Riley’s Place
June 1 - Article on Riley's Place appears in Almanac!!! See attached PDF
Tuesday, May 24 - Special Needs school visits Riley's Place
Saturday, May 21 - a busy day!
1)
Riley’s Place holds special event at Ronald McDonald House at Stanford.
2) Riley’s Place parade for Peninsula Volunteers gala - Henry Kapono’s first parade! see photos
3) Hometown Days in San Carlos Girl Scouts hold a booth to raise awareness for Riley’s Place - see story below.
San Carlos Girl Scouts Troop #32969 searched for a project to help them earn their Bronze Award, the highest recognition for the 5th grade junior level in Girl Scouts. The goal of this project was to make a positive difference to the community. After much thought it was decided that the girls would raise awareness and donations for Riley's Place. To get a better feel for what Riley's Place does the Troop attended a field trip to our facility, took a tour and met our animals. After their trip they organized a booth at the 2011 San Carlos Hometown Days where the girls offered face painting and games. Brochures and animal trading cards were passed out to promote Riley's Place. All sales proceeds went towards an item on our wish list - a much-needed Power Point Presentation Projector!
Through their efforts Troop #32969 has drawn greater awareness to Riley's Place! The girls, very deservingly, earned their Bronze Award!!!!
Friday, May 20 - First Step for Families visits Riley's Place
Wednesday, May 18 - Charles Armstrong School visits Riley's Place
Tuesday, May 17 - Special Needs school visit Riley's Place
Saturday, May 14 - Girl Scout Troup visits Riley's Place
Friday, May 13 - Birthday Party at Riley's Place
Thursday, May 12 - Riley's Place visits Saratoga Sub-Acute Facility
New facility for us...wonderful joint venture with BAWS!
Tuesday, May 10 - Special Needs school visits Riley's Place
Riley's Place visits Ronald McDonald House at Stanford
Monday, May 9 - Sacred Heart School has a work day at Riley's Place - see photos
Sunday, May 8 - Riley’s Place attends Heifer International Awareness Day at Los Altos United Methodist Church
Tuesday, May 3 - Special Needs school visit Riley's Place
Sunday, May 1 - Webb Ranch in Portola Valley is hosting a "Spring Fling - Dance with your Horse" fundraiser for Riley's Place.
Cathy Minshall - New Chief Financial Officer for Riley's Place
Riley’s Place is pleased to announce that Cathy Minshall has joined us as our new Chief Financial Officer. Cathy is the Chief Financial Officer of Emergence Capital Partners and is a 15 year veteran of the venture capital industry.
In addition to managing all financial functions at Emergence, Cathy works closely with the partners to support Emergence’s portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Emergence, Cathy spent over 5 years as the CFO of De Novo Ventures, an early stage healthcare focused fund. Previously, she was the Controller for Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers and the Mayfield Fund. She also has prior financial management experience with Ancora Capital, MGM and Westwood One. She began her career with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Los Angeles.
Cathy holds a BS in Accounting from the University of the Pacific, is a Certified Public Accountant, serves of the Board of the West Coast Chapter of the Private Eqity CFO Association (PECFOA) and is an active member of the National Venture Capital Association’s CFO Task Force.
Outside of work Cathy is married and active in animal rescue. She currently has 5 dogs and even more cats. She is an avid runner and has run a marathon in each of the 50 states.
Hannah Helps Riley's Place
Riley's Place would like to gratefully recognize and thank Hannah Leibovich, a 4th grader at White Oaks Schools in San Carlos. Hannah took part in a community service project called ROPES, which stands for Rite of Passage Experiences, and is a program supported by many organizations and individuals in San Carlos. After reading an article about Riley's Place in the newspaper, Hannah chose raising awareness and donations for Riley's Place as her project. Hannah interviewed Wendy and had a first hand look at the operations of Riley's Place, did research and created a wonderful storyboard. She held a bake and book sale with homemade treats and donated books. On a beautiful Saturday morning, Hannah and her mom and dad came to Riley's Place to present a check for nearly $430!
We at Riley's Place are very proud of Hannah for her efforts.
Sunday, April 3 - Kachina was a star at the Fashion for Compassion fundraiser for our partner, the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA.
Friday, April 1 - Our new bunny, Millie, arrives! See Photos
Tuesday, March 29 - Special Needs School visits Riley's Place. See Photos
Monday, March 28 - Riley's Place visits Haven Family House. See Photos
Wednesday, March 15 - Kachina participates in Merrie Morgan driving clinic
Tuesday, March 8 - Riley's Place visits Ronald McDonald House
Saturday, March 5 - Volunteer Orientation Meeting
Tuesday, March 1 - Special Needs School Visits Riley's Place. See Photos
Sunday February 13 - Ronald McDonald House Valentine's Day Event
October 19, 2010 - Ronald McDonald House and the 49ers Dream-Believe-Achieve!
What great fun we had at Ronald McDonald House with the 49ers and Dream-Believe-Achieve! The children and their families were full of smiles and laughter, and the animals certainly enjoyed all the love and attention!
October 9, 2010 - Riley's Place at Woodside Day of the Horse
Riley's Place had fun at Woodside's Day of the Horse festival. Visitors were entertained by Shaun and Sheryl, the lovely sheep; and Annie and Sara, the lovely dogs!
Thanks to Salesforce and the incredible group of hardworking volunteers, we now have a Goatie Jungle Gym!! We also have a Serenity Garden!! And our pasture fence has been secured to keep coyotes out, our hay storage area has a roof, our drainage swale has been filled with drainage rock, the pile of dirt has been moved, and the hillside below our barn has been raked! Phew!! We are SO grateful to this wonderful company and the diligent volunteers who gave us their time, energy and expertise. Thank you!!!!
A big THANK YOU to Allen Drywall --- our Bunny Cottage is now insulated and sheet-rocked thanks to this super company. And this is not the first time these great people have given us their time, expertise and materials. We are grateful!
September 17, 2010 - Thank you to Davey Tree
Another big THANK YOU to Davey Tree Company for removing all the dangerous Oleander plants and replacing them with animal-friendly Pittosporum. Special thanks to Richard Hill of Davey Tree for organizing this huge endeavor. It took most of the day but the finished product is SAFE for our animals and lovely, too! We are also grateful to Boething Tree Farm for providing our replacement shrubs.
September 13, 2010 - Henry and Lezlee Kapono visited Riley's Place
On Monday, September 13, Riley's Place was honored to host Henry Kapono, his lovely wife Lezlee, and their two beautiful four-year-old twins! A strong advocate for organizations promoting the well-being of children, Henry brought his family to meet his namesake, our one-month-old mini horse, Henry Kapono, and to learn more about our wonderful organization. The family was happy to meet baby Henry Kapono and his mom, Ayana. There was lots of cuddling! The children helped to groom our other mini, Kachina; and played with Leo and Laverne, our two Nigerian Dwarf goats. Twins themselves, the children were delighted to learn that Leo and Laverne are twins! After more cuddling with the foal, we all took a hike up to the tree fort, where the children climbed the tree, played on the swings and ropes. Henry and Lezlee are an incredible couple -- very caring and so down-to-earth.
Henry Kapono Ka’aihue is an award winning and Grammy nominated singer/songwriter. He has taken home numerous Na Hoku Hano Hano Awards (Hawaii’s equivalent of the Grammy’s) including Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, Single of the Year, and Album of the Year. He is also the author of the award winning children’s book, "A Beautiful Hawaiian Day", has appeared in the films Damien and Waterworld and has made many television appearances.
He is currently in the middle of a multi-city concert tour, and after visiting Riley's Place, the family left for their next performance in San Diego.
September 12, 2010 - Riley's Place attends Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Picnic
What a great time Riley's Place had at the 10th Annual Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Picnic at Shoup Park in Los Altos! Leo and Laverne were joined by our special PHS/SPCA dog, Sara, and they all brought such joy to the many children and their families.
Riley's Place receives donation from San Carlos Wee Woods Camp
This last summer, the Wee Woods Adventure Camp in San Carlos promoted Riley's Place as their philanthropic lesson to the children. We are honored by the thoughtfulness and generosity of spirit. A big thanks to Roxanne Stern for suggesting Riley's Place. Here is a card Riley's Place received from the Wee Woods Camp Staff.
Dear Riley's Place,
"This summer the theme for San Carlos Adventure Camp was "Children of the World". Wee Woods chose Riley's Place as our charity. The campers of Wee Woods are 4 and 5 year olds who are also pre-K students. The goal for this summer was to teach about giving. The money we raised came from tooth fairy money, allowance, money found on the playground, and campers' personal change collections. Most of the money was given in small change and is a true expression of campers trying to make a difference."
Love,
The Wee Woods Staff
August, 2010 - Riley's Place Visits Ronald McDonald House
Riley's Place is pleased to introduce you to our newest addition, "Henry Kapono". A naming contest for Ayana's lovely colt yielded almost 50 entries, and the judging panel took extra time to pick the perfect name for this friendly little boy. "Henry" was the only name suggested by two different contestants: Naomi Torres, age 5, liked the name "Henry" after seeing a picture of the foal and proclaiming very simply, "Well, you should name him Henry"; and Nick Mattes felt the little horse should have a first and a last name, suggesting"Henry Kapono". In honor of our Hawaiian friend, King Lamadora, who passed away in April, we liked the Hawaiian last name, "Kapono." (which means "righteous" ) And since our little Henry Kapono's sire was named "Ike", for musician Ike Turner, we thought it appropriate to continue the musical connection! Henry Kapono is an award winning and Grammy nominated singer/songwriter. He has taken home numerous Na Hoku Hano Hano Awards (Hawaii's equivalent of the Grammy's) including Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, Single of the Year, and Album of the Year. He is also the author of the award winning children's book, A Beautiful Hawaiian Day. His most recent CD is entitled "The Wild Hawaiian." When you come to see our little "Henry Kapono", with his already wild mane, you will agree that it's the perfect name for our special boy.
A special thank you to all those who participated in the contest. We had some excellent suggestions for names, and will think of them as new animals join the Riley's Place family.
Riley's Place is thrilled to announce the birth of Ayana's (Yaya's) foal, an adorable little colt, as yet to be named! He arrived in the early morning quiet on Friday, July 30th. Yaya's a great Mom, protective and gentle. After being examined by the vet, our little guy was pronounced healthy! Please stay tuned for lots more pictures.
Riley's Place is excited to announce the launch of our newest program! Working together with our wonderful new Partner organization, Webb Ranch Riding, we proudly offer: "Fun on Horseback".
With the experienced guidance of Riley's Place staff, children facing health or family challenges can enjoy grooming, saddling, bridling, and of course, riding a horse! Located in Portola Valley, Webb Ranch provides a warm, friendly, safe and fun family environment, as well as many gentle and kind horses.
Webb Ranch has been owned and operated by the Webb Family since 1922, with our 5th generation
currently living on and taking part in daily operations of the ranch. It is the Webb Family’s wish to
continue with the family tradition of providing a warm, friendly, safe and fun family environment to our
equestrian and equine friends and to continue to produce and provide the highest and freshest quality
produce to our community and customers. Riley's Place is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children on the San Francisco
Peninsula experiencing chronic or life threatening health problems and/or challenging family situations such
as homelessness. The programs offered through Riley's Place encourage and facilitate children's interaction
with animals, allowing them to experience the joy and healing that spending time with animals and enjoying
and appreciating nature can bring. www.rileys-place.org www.webbranchriding.com
Riley's Place Article in the San Mateo County Horsemans Association Spring 2010 Newsletter - click to read
March 14, 2010 - Visit to Los Altos United Methodist Church
We took the sheep and Harvey, the giant bunny, to Los Altos United Methodist Church. The focus was on Heifer International, and we were invited to share animals to bring awareness to Heifer Inernational.
We have some very exciting news to share with you. Our little mini horse, Ayana, is pregnant!! We are expecting a baby miniature horse in August!
You may remember that we adopted Ayana ("YaYa") last September. She was part of a herd which was surrendered to the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA -- a stallion was part of that herd. An ultrasound in September did not detect a pregnancy, but over time, we noticed that Ayana was getting "rounder". Thinking we were being overly generous with her hay, grain, and grazing time in the lush green grass, we restricted her diet. She continued to gain weight, and so she had a blood test which confirmed the news this week.
Surprise!!! While we were not expecting to add another horse to our Riley's Place family, we can certainly offer this baby a wonderful home ... with room to play and grow, good food to eat, exemplary care, and an abundance of love and attention. What a blessing!
Ayana won the Peninsula Humane Society's 2009 Animals are Kind to People Award, and we are sure her baby will follow in her sweet hoofprints.
February 14, 2010 - Visit to Ronald McDonald House
On our special Valentine's Day visit we served lunch to 60 people and shared our animals with about 25 children. On this visit we took Kachina the mini horse; Atley the dog; Stella the cat; Robin and Casper, the two bunnies.
Riley's Place featured in Stanford University Publication - read more...
Partnership with Peninsula Humane Society's Pet Assisted Therapy Program
Riley’s Place is proud to partner with the Peninsula Humane Society’s Pet Assisted Therapy Program. Our combined programs will encourage and facilitate children’s interaction with animals, allowing them to experience the joy and healing from spending time with animals.
Leyla Nielsen received Riley's Place Volunteer of the Year award! She volunteered at our Program visits to Ronald McDonald House, and at all our Open House events, AND she gave up every Sunday to take care of our mini horses.
New Baby Goats
Riley's Place is delighted to announce the addition of two baby goats to our family. Laverne and Leo are 6-month old twin Nigerian Dwarf goats.
The members of the Riley's Place Junior committee gathered at our facility in Woodside to mee all our animals, including our new additions, Leo and laverne, the baby Nigerian Dwarf goats.
January 5, 2010 - Visit to Ronald McDonald House
Our new bunny, Casper, made his debut visit.... along with seasoned travelers Robin and Kachina.
January 2010
The Bottini family donated a golf cart which will be our "Ladybug Shuttle," ferrying the children from the parking lot to our barn. They will paint ladybugs on it, and the journey to the barn will be part of the fun!
Jan Steenkamp volunteered his time to assemble Kachina's cart.
We took Pumpkin the hen, Robin the rabbit, and Atley the dog tovisit Haven Family House.
December 1, 2009 - Visit to Ronald McDonald House
We took Robin the rabbit and Shaun and Sheryl the sheep to Ronald McDonald House for a visit.
Riley's Place and Ayana win Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA Award
We are so proud to announce that Riley's Place, and our mini horse, Ayana have won the "Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA's 2009 Animals Are Kind to People' award! Here's the note we received:
At this year’s Volunteer and Community Appreciation Celebration . . . Paws for Applause, we are honoring Ayana and Riley’s Place with the “Animals Are Kind to People Award” for your work with Ayana, a 10 month old miniature horse filly recently rescued by PHS/SPCA, then adopted to Riley’s Place. Ayana enriches the lives of children experiencing chronic or life threatening health problems and challenging family situation through interaction and contact allowing them to experience the joy and healing that spending time with animals can bring. The purpose of this uplifting evening is to pay tribute to a unique group of heroes, individuals and organizations whose efforts have helped improve the quality of life for animals.
Paws to Applause Celebration - December 1, 2009
Riley's Place and our miniature horse, Ayana, won the 2009 Animals Helping People Award. Riley's Place Volunteers and the two miniature horses - Ayana and Kachina attended the event. Click to watch a YouTube video of the event.
We are very happy to welcome a new member of the Riley's Place animal family. "Robin" is a lovely, sweet, friendly and cuddly bunny which we adopted from the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA. (See her picture, attached). Robin will be part of our "Four Legged Friends on Wheels" team, visiting children and their families at Ronald McDonald House and Shelter Network-Haven Family House. How great to have a variety of animal sizes, shapes and textures for the children! This loving bunny loves to sit on laps, and she closes her eyes in bliss when she is patted and stroked.
Riley's Place volunteers took two sheep, Shaun and Sheryl, Robin the rabbit, Atley the dog and Pumpkin the red hen to visit the children at families at Haven Family House.
November 14, 2009- Junior Committee Meeting
Our first Junior Committee meeting was held on November 14th and was attended by 9 juniors, who are all excited about being a part of Riley's Place. They will help us with animal care and socialization, and community outreach projects.
New Junior Committee Launched
We are launching our "Junior Committee." First meeting is Saturday, November 14 at 3:00 pm. This is a great way for children aged 8 - 15 to get involved. They can help with animal care and socialization, facilities maintenance, fundraising and community outreach events, as well as being a great source of ideas and enthusiasm! Please R.S.V.P. to Wendy by phone 650-703-5199 or email wendy@rileys-place.org.
November 3, 2009 - Visit to Ronald McDonald House
On our November 3rd visit to Ronald McDonald House, this little girl enjoyed interacting with Kachina, the miniature horse.
Riley's Place participates in Woodside Day of the Horse Festival
Riley's Place has been involved in some Community Outreach projects, including a booth at Woodside's Day of the Horse Festival; an evening presentation to students at Stanford's Branner Hall/Haas Center for Public Service; and we will be giving a presentation on November 3rd to the Redwood City Rotary Club.
October 6, 2009-- Riley's Place Visits Ronald McDonald House
Riley's Place Volunteers took Kachina, one of our mini horses, to visit the children and their families at Ronald McDonald House. This lovely little girl, aged 1 1/2, beamed with joy when she ran her fingers through Kachina's warm, fuzzy coat. Her mother explained to us later that she had lost her eyesight as a result of her chemotherapy treatments.
For Immediate Release
PHS/SPCA Contact:
Scott Delucchi, 650/685-8510 or 650/255-2113
Riley’s Place Contact: Wendy Mattes, 650/703-5199
PHS/SPCA Rescues, Then Finds Homes For 10 Miniature Horses
Society partners with Riley’s Place in Woodside
(San Mateo, CA) – October 2, 2009 — One week ago, the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA (PHS/SPCA) was faced with taking 15 miniature horses into its Airport Blvd. facility and finding space among the 1,000+ animals crowding the shelter. Today, all the horses have new homes, and PHS/SPCA has a new partner.
One of the rescued horse’s new homes is at Riley’s Place, a Woodside non-profit whose mission is to enrich the lives of Peninsula children experiencing chronic or life-threatening illnesses and/or challenging family situations such as homelessness. Mobile and onsite program offered by Riley’s Place encourage and facilitate children’s interactions with animals, allowing them to experience the joy and healing that animals can bring.
PHS/SPCA’s urgent need for partners like Riley’s Place, adopters and foster homes began September 22 when a San Gregorio couple overwhelmed by their growing herd of horses surrendered all but two to PHS/SPCA. Three of the horses were pregnant, most were undersocialized and all required hoof trimming, veterinary checks, and de-worming medicine.
The situation could have turned into an animal cruelty situation, as it’s illegal for people who own animals to withhold necessary veterinary treatment. This couple realized their predicament, cooperated fully and surrendered the animals to PHS/SPCA.
Soon after spreading word of the need for donated hay, foster homes and adopters, PHS/SPCA heard from a handful of interested parties. One was Riley’s Place. Another was Animal Assisted Happiness, a non-profit in Los Altos, which also provides animal therapy. Three of the horses were transferred by PHS/SPCA to a farm in Lodi, CA, three to a farm in Galt, CA, and two others were adopted by local residents.
“I’d love to live on these farms,” beamed PHS/SPCA Lead Humane Investigator Christina Hanley. “The horses have amazing homes with very knowledgeable people.”
Riley’s Place may adopt more farm animals or domestic animals from PHS/SPCA in the future. “Helping this miniature horse find a new, great home where she will work with children and families with special needs has truly touched all of our employees,” said PHS/SPCA Sr. Vice President Scott Delucchi. “We hope to facilitate many more adoptions with Riley’s Place.”
Miniature horses weigh between 100-200 pounds, are 30-40 inches tall at the shoulder and can live between 25-35 years. They can be social and interact well with people. They can be kept as family pets, though they retain natural horse behavior and must be treated like an equine, even if they primarily serve as a companion animal.
9-28-09 News Riley’s Place received word from the Peninsula Humane Society that 15 miniature horses were in need of immediate intervention. We at Riley’s Place are so happy to be able to adopt a rescued mini, providing her with a nurturing home, good care, and all the love and attention she could ever want! To be able to help children, and at the same time, to help animals, is truly a blessing.
But now we need your help more than ever! Please consider sponsoring our new mini for a month ($300), or a year ($3,600).
September 21, 2009 - Riley’s Place visits
Haven Family House
On
September 21, 2009
, our mini horse, Kachina, made her
debut visit to bring our “Four Legged Friends on Wheels” to visit the children
and families at Haven Family House in Menlo Park.Kachina was a star, and absolutely loved the
attention she received from 39 children!Two babies had their pictures taken, sitting on her back, and the
children took turns brushing her, petting her, and feeding her grass.Welcome to the team, Kachina!And thank you so much, Leandra Steenkamp, for
generously donating this lovely little mare to our program.She has already brought joy to many children.
September 15, 2009 - George Hall School
visits us
Starting on September 15, and running every Tuesday for four
weeks, Riley’s Place, in conjunction with NCEFT, is operating our “Playdate
with a Four Legged Friend” program, hosting students from
GeorgeHallSchool.During their visits with us, the children
rotate between driving in the mini horse cart and riding on the ATV.And before returning to their school, they take great joy in running up
the hill, climbing the tree, and swinging from the ropes.Children spending time with animals, and
enjoying nature – such joy!
When thanked for her generous spirit in volunteering every
week, Nancy Elliot, DVM, commented that “I am really enjoying the time with the
kids and people and critters at Riley's Place. Thank you for the kind
comments but especially for the drive to get this going and give me a chance to
participate in something that gives so much to anyone involved.”
September 1, 2009 - Riley’s Place visits
Ronald McDonald House
On
September
1, 2009
, Riley’s Place took our mobile “Four Legged Friends on
Wheels” program to visit the children and families at Ronald McDonald House –
our regular monthly visit.
We brought two mini donkeys, Willie and Wonka, and a lovely
red hen named Pumpkin..We visited about
15 children and their families.The
children took delight in brushing the donkeys, feeding them grass, and holding
lovely, feathery Pumpkin!
Per Honey Meir-Levi, the Executive Director at Ronald
McDonald House, “When a family stays at the House they have but one focus – the
health of their child.You contribution
of the monthly animal therapy program is so important because it helps make
Ronald McDonald House the place where hope has a home.”
NATIONAL CENTER FOR EQUINE FACILITATED THERAPY (NCEFT) WELCOMES RILEY’S PLACE
New Organization Finds Home on NCEFT Campus; Brings Animals Together With Children in Need.
WOODSIDE, CA (August 1, 2009) -- The National Center for Equine Facilitated Therapy (NCEFT) today welcomed to its campus Riley’s Place, a new non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children on the San Francisco Peninsula experiencing health and family challenges by facilitating their interaction with animals, allowing children to experience the joy and healing which come from spending time with animals and nature.
With a permanent site for visitors nestled within the grounds of the well-known National Center for Equine Facilitated Therapy (NCEFT) in Woodside, Riley’s Place will offer free programs for children in need. There will be both a site-based visiting program with animals and an out-bound program, Four Legged Friends on Wheels, that will take animals off-site to visit children and families in need throughout the community. Funds are now being raised to run the programs and to build a new barn for the Riley’s Place animals at NCEFT.
“All of us at NCEFT are excited to be able to expand our reach into the community with the additions of the programs offered by Riley’s Place,” said Gari Merendino, Executive Director at NCEFT. “Wendy Mattes is a unique individual with the energy and heart to change the lives of these children and we are pleased to provide the environment for that to happen. We anticipate sharing our volunteer resources as well as our facility with Riley’s Place so that the children coming to Riley’s Place and the adults, children and Military Veterans who come to NCEFT experience the unique support and caring that our community has to offer.”
“We are so fortunate to have found a home for Riley’s Place on the NCEFT campus,” says Wendy Mattes, Executive Director of Riley’s P lace. “It was critical for the mission and heart of Riley’s Place to locate our site-based programs in a nurturing and supportive environment for children and their families to find peace, joy and relaxation, as well as to honor the memory of Riley Church. We expect to welcome our first on-site visitors this year, and our out-bound visiting program is already in full swing. You will see Riley’s Place volunteers and animals spreading joy and healing to the children throughout our community with visits to places of healing and comfort like Ronald McDonald House, Shelter Network shelters for homeless families, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, and also in private homes.”
About Riley’s Place
Riley’s Place was founded in 2008 by a group of caring people from the local community in honor of a young lady named Riley Church who, at the age of 14 died of brain cancer in 2006 after a two-year battle. Riley’s love of nature and all animals – especially cats, dogs, horses, lambs and goats – shaped her joyful and compassionate spirit. When Riley was no longer able to ride horses and spend time with other animals, a group of friends brought a miniature horse to visit her at home. The visit brought healing, joy and fun to Riley, her family and friends and became the inspiration for Riley’s Place and the programs that would bring the same benefits to other children in need. The site-based program and the outreach program are free. Our mission is to serve children with chronic or life threatening illness, children who are homeless, or children who have never had an opportunity to experience or appreciate the healthful benefits of interacting with animals and nature. To schedule a visit from Riley’s Place animals and volunteers, or to find out more about the programs, plans and how to donate to Riley’s Place please visit www.rileys-place.org , or call/email Wendy Mattes, Executive Director (650) 703-5199. wendy@rileys-place.org.
About NCEFT
NCEFT is a non-profit, California 501(c)(3) corporation that improves the lives of children and adults with disabilities by providing equine-assisted therapy and equine assisted activities and promoting research and education in the field of hippo therapy.
Contacts: Gari Merendino, Executive Director Wendy Mattes, Executive Director
NCEFT Riley’s Place
(650)-851-2271 (650) 703-5199 gari@nceft.orgwendy@rileys-place.org
Commitment to excellence, accountability and maintaining the public trust
Respect for the worth and dignity of all individuals
Inclusiveness and social justice
Respect for pluralism and diversity
Responsible stewardship of resources, transparency, integrity and honesty
Respect for and responsible stewardship of the horses that serve NCEFT
Our Facility
The NCEFT facility includes a fully restored 1920 dairy barn with additional paddocks to accommodate over 50 horses. Two arenas with state-of-the-art footing and an Outpatient Physical and Occupational Therapy Clinic supports year-round programs.
“Every square foot of the NCEFT property is utilized for healing and hope
for individuals, families and horses. “
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