Centaur Stride needs succession plan to keep riding
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They say the only two certainties in life are death and taxes. The difference is that we know exactly when our taxes are due. The timing of the other is never quite so certain.
Perhaps the best we can do is make the most of the time we have: play the cards we are dealt, make changes where we can, and leave things a little better than we found them.
That has been my motivation for the past 36 years in building Centaur Stride.
What began as a 4-H program in our backyard grew into a three-year journey of planning, building and overcoming obstacles before finally finding its home between Westfield and Sherman. After nearly a year of searching, we found the only property we could afford. We believed in the philosophy, "Build it and they will come." We were convinced that therapeutic horseback riding could make a meaningful difference in people’s lives, and we were determined to make it happen.
Friends rallied to help, challenges were overcome, and there was no turning back. When you care for live animals, the work doesn’t stop simply because people don’t show up. The horses still need feeding, care and attention. The bills still need paying. Success meant showing up every day, never giving up and finding a way to keep going.
For many years, the daily demands left little time to think about the future. Strategic planning, sustainability and long-term projections seemed distant luxuries when there was so much to accomplish just to get through another day.
Grants are not guaranteed. First, an organization must prove its worth. Then it must demonstrate a credible plan for sustainability. That requires knowledgeable, dedicated people who have the time to help build a future. The challenge is that we need funding to attract those people, but we need those people and their expertise to secure the funding.
Centaur Stride is finally getting closer to that goal, thanks to the people who care enough to help. But we cannot afford to pay the leadership needed to get us there, and without that leadership, securing the resources to sustain the organization becomes even more difficult.
I understand this challenge on a deeply personal level because I have been raising a child with a disability while building this organization. My son, now 50, was finally diagnosed on the autism spectrum at age 47 after 4 state Appeals and one Federal Appeal over a period of 11 years. The 39 years prior were a struggle everyday, doing the best we knew how, with what we knew. Centaur Stride was the most rewarding and beneficial but ran its course for him, another book in the making.
Government assistance can provide important support to individuals with disabilities and their families, but it often comes with restrictions. Funding may cover a caregiver to provide respite or accompany someone into the community, but not the individual’s own entertainment expenses. Some therapeutic activities, including therapeutic horseback riding, may qualify for assistance, but many other everyday needs remain the family’s responsibility.
Why don’t we simply charge more? Because not everyone receives government assistance. Raising fees would put participation beyond the reach of many families, leaving only those with financial resources or funding able to benefit. We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to participate, regardless of their financial circumstances.
The reality of raising a child with a disability is that there is often no age when a parent can expect that child to spread their wings and live independently. The challenges of planning for a secure future can continue throughout a parent’s lifetime. And what happens when that caregiver is no longer here?
This is where my own sense of urgency comes in.
My son has many abilities, but they are not always consistent, and he experiences frequent meltdowns. Planning for his future care and security is a constant concern. Time, however, waits for no one.
At my 50th high school reunion a few years ago, a video played throughout the event in memory of classmates who had passed away. I was stunned by how many had died before reaching 68. Just yesterday, a childhood friend passed away. He was three months younger than I am.
Those reminders bring me back to three things I must accomplish:
1. Ensure my son has the financial security, care and support he needs to live a purposeful life to the best of his ability without me.
2. Put my affairs in order so I don’t leave my daughter with an overwhelming burden of unfinished business when I am gone.
3. Establish a sustainable future for Centaur Stride so that 36 years of work, dedication and community investment are not lost. That means securing the daily operating funds to survive now and the resources to support an Executive Director who can guide the organization into the future.
I love animals and support efforts to care for those in need. I also commend my mother for her generosity in supporting a child overseas, even when her contribution may be only one meal at a time. But I am equally moved and encouraged by the "somebodies" right here in our community who donate, volunteer and help make Centaur Stride possible.
Isn’t caring for the children and people in our own backyard just as important? We often hear that making a difference in the world begins in our own neighborhood. I believe that.
To everyone who has helped, and to those who will help in the future, thank you. Last week, we received a donation and another volunteer signed up for orientation. Each contribution matters. Each volunteer matters. Each person who cares makes a difference.
The challenges facing nonprofits are real. Organizations serving people, animals and communities should not have to compete against one another for an ever-shrinking pool of resources. We need to expand our generosity, not simply redistribute it.
Unlike taxes, which seem to rise every year, charitable donations often decline when household expenses increase. Yet the needs of our community do not disappear.
Death may be inevitable, and taxes may be certain, but the end of a person’s life does not have to mean the end of their life’s work.
A mission can live on long after its founder is gone, provided enough "somebodies" care enough to make it happen.
I hope there will always be somebodies.
No donation is too small and every volunteer is a blessing. Please send donations to : Centaur Stride, PO Box 174, Westfield, NY 14787. For more information on becoming a volunteer, contact us at info@centaurstride.org or call the barn at 716 326-4318.
Claudia Monroe is president and founder of Centaur Stride.