Serenity Farm

Surrounded by horses, children, staff and volunteers is where you can find the Executive Director of Serenity Farm working on the farm. The true magic happens in the arena when one child says his first words, or another child takes that first step after riding their horse.

“The work we accomplish with families, teens or children has amazing results when applied to the real life scenes.”

No stranger to horses or families, Debra is a certified riding instructor, an advanced level equine specialist, with many credits in agency case management work. “Working with gang related teens in Philadelphia/Reading PA and directing a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) program for abused kids in central Ohio has shown me over and over that our kids in society need quality programs to keep up with what is happening in our world. Working in the Wood County Prosecuting office before starting Serenity Farm gave me the opportunity to view first hand schools, students and administration up front and personal as I traveled around the county with the Youth Violence Prevention program.”

I first visited Serenity Farm in 2010 with my daughter Samantha. She has been riding with Lucky Riders for 2 years now and loves it. She has a particular fondness for Thumper! I spent my Tuesday evenings watching her grow from being terrified of letting go of the saddle horn to riding all by herself, laughing the whole time. I also watched the loving, family atmosphere that exists at the farm between volunteers, staff and the families that visit. I thought to myself, and expressed out loud how awesome it would be to join this family! And, here I am!

By day, I work as the Guidance and Athletic Secretary at Eastwood High School. The students are awesome. I also have a case management background, having spent 15 years working in Children’s Services at Wood County Department of Job and Family Services. I have my Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Family Services and have a Masters Degree in Public Administration.

As Lucky Rider Volunteer Coordinator for Serenity Farm, I will be working to help this program continue to grow, work with our volunteer base to ensure positive outcomes for our programs. Part of my goals is to take an already good system and make it even better for our volunteers to gain valuable skills needed to work each program with the help of many team members now in place. Serenity Farm is all about working in teams, to maximize outcomes to our clients.

Several years ago I stepped into the barn at Serenity Farm and felt that is was a place that I needed and wanted to spend more of my time. As a Professional Clinical Counselor and Registered Dietitian it’s more common to find someone in my profession in a building somewhere meeting people in an office.

Serenity Farm is a place where the walls come down physically (we spend most of our time in the arena or the field) and figuratively (there are emotional walls torn down by the interaction of horses with people). I love the simplicity of the farm. So much work goes on there without anyone even realizing how hard they are working. The horses and the farm provide an atmosphere of trust and “thinking outside of the box.” It’s truly a soul nourishing experience for everyone.

A passion for horses and 30 years experience instructing special needs students in the local area brought Barb through the barn door of Serenity Farm four years ago. “I thought it was such a great fit for me. Retirement left a void in my life and I missed the connection I had with my students. My work at the farm has given me unlimited opportunities to interact with clients, volunteers, staff and students from a variety of school settings and gives me the ability to work with great therapy horses.”

Barb is a horse handler and side walker in the Lucky Riders program, a Barn Buddy, volunteers for field trips and fun-raising and has recently taken on the staff position of Research and Development Coordinator, using her knowledge and experience to help provide Serenity Farm with innovative and educational programming.

“It is a wonderful experience to work with such a dedicated group of volunteers and staff members. They bring their professionalism, knowledge, compassion and caring to help improve the lives of the clients they interact with.”

I have been blessed to be a part of the Serenity Farm journey since the non-profit first started putting together the pieces for the counseling program 10 years ago. God put me in the right place at the right time. After only listening to the founder talk for 5 minutes about the program I fell in love with the idea of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP). EAP is so effective at addressing so many different issues and in helping people “change directions” and make positive changes in their lives. “Horses have an amazing ability to connect with even the most troubled souls in ways that mere humans can’t.”

As a Licensed Social Worker and Chemical Dependency Counselor for over 20 years I have experience working with children, teens and families in several therapy/educational settings. “Reaching out to find the right program to help can sometimes be trying. Working with our clients in the barn/arena setting, presents a much less defensive approach in many ways to the visitors.”

“Serenity Farm is a wonderful place that makes positive and life-changing differences in people’s lives every day.”

There are many paths that we take as we journey through life. One of my paths led me to Serenity Farm. After spending 20 years as a dental hygienist serving patients, I really enjoy the one on one contact with clients and volunteers here at the farm. It seems like I am always learning something new.

 The children that come to the farm for programs inspire me in so many ways. It is wonderful seeing them each week and watching them learn and grow. As Community Relations Coordinator, I enjoy the opportunity to bring the good works of Serenity Farm out into our community to share the many blessings of our accomplishments. When I am not working at our family owned business, I can be found at the farm, enjoying the volunteers and clients.

With over 20 years of teaching and 30 years of riding experience, certified instructor Michelle Reiter offers a unique combination of talent and passion to the mission of Serenity Farm. “To combine my love for children and horses, that’s the reason I joined the Serenity Farm family,” said Michelle.

With undergraduate degrees in Elementary and Special Education, and a Master’s Degree in Reading, Michelle uses her extensive teaching experience to foster stronger relationships with clients.

“I started my career as a teacher of developmentally handicapped children,” Michelle states.

That experience guides my interaction with the children and helps me respond to their needs in an understanding and caring way. Riding horses has been part of Michelle’s life since the age of 10.

“There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the emotion in a child’s face as they connect with one of the horses. Even more gratifying is seeing the positive emotional reaction of a loving parent.”

After 30 years in the classroom, it was time for me to think out of the box and Serenity Farm offered me the chance. Bringing clients and critters together in this inspiring atmosphere is my job as Field Trip Coordinator. As plans are developed and discussed, creative freedom is utilized. Grissom and Madison, my therapy dogs, are often seen working these trips.

Being a barn buddie and a horse handler in the Lucky Riders Program has allowed me to begin learning the world of the horse and what a tremendous effect they have on people. Involvement with dedicated personnel and critters is such a positive aspect of Serenity Farm.