December 2016
For immediate releaseEquine Dreams is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of a $10,000 grant from the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley. The funds will be used to purchase a tractor. “A tractor keeps Equine Dreams future operating costs down through allowing us to manage our property independently. We will not have to hire someone to plow our drive in the winter, and will be able to manage our pastures and maintain our sensory trail. Our heartfelt thanks go out to the Community Foundation for their continued support of our mission. We appreciate their confidence in our ability to continue to provide a truly unique and beneficial service to this community.” said Windy Kopecky, board member and instructor for Equine Dreams.
About Equine Dreams
Equine Dreams is a 501c3 not-for- profit organization that provides Therapeutic Equine Assisted Activities to children, adults and Veterans with disabilities. They provide services to over 100 participants in Kane, DeKalb, Kendall and several surrounding counties each week. Their program is unique in that they provide services at no charge. Their very qualified staff is all volunteers; with 11 PATH International Registered Therapeutic Riding Instructors, 1 PATH Advanced Therapeutic Riding Instructor, including one physical therapist, one occupational therapist and one audiologist. For more information on Equine Dreams, visit their website at: www.equinedreams.org.
About the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a non-profit, tax-exempt, philanthropic organization that administers individual charitable funds from which grants and scholarships are distributed to benefit the citizens of the Greater Aurora Area, the TriCities and Kendall County, Illinois.
Founded in 1948, the Foundation provides a simple and powerful approach to charitable giving. Individuals, families, businesses and organizations have the opportunity to custom design their own named funds that reflect their charitable goals and interests. Since its inception, the Community Foundation has grown to more than $75 million in assets and has awarded more than $60 million in grants and scholarships. For more information on the Foundation, visit www.CommunityFoundationFRV.org.
From: Windy Kopecky, Board Member and Head Instructor for Equine Dreams; ride@equinedreams.org, (630)553-6950
Education is important to us. We support causes that touch our lives and align with our values. We believe in paying it forward. We are here for a short time,, and it is the next generation that will take on what we leave behind.
Michelle Emanuel
Donor and Past Scholarship Recipient
YEP was a great experience to have in high school. I became a more confident person, someone with a lot more perspective. Coming from a small school, YEP allowed me to branch out into my community, meet students from other schools, and learn about their backgrounds. I made some great friends and still keep in touch with them today.
Abby Vagnoni
YEP Alumni
YEP has made me realize the importance of being involved in my community, and how to make a difference. There are a lot of problems in the world but if we can do everything that we can to help the world will become a better place. YEP has helped me realize this and encouraged me to help more people in the future.
Madi Porter
YEP Member
I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Zari Foundation Scholarship and the Community Foundation in supporting my education. I am majoring in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institue of Technology. In my spare time, I volunteer on campus, in the community and I’m also the principal violist in the symphony orchestra. I hope to make an impact on the next chapter of space exploration by eventually working at a groundbreaking aerospace company such as SpaceX or NASA.
Taytum Newell
Albert M. Zari Scholarship Recipient
Give your gift of time and see what it means to the people you impact. Helping others is what life is all about.
Neal Ormond
Donor & Fund Advisor
Being a part of the Community Foundation scholarship committee is the highlight of my year. For many, a scholarship from the CFFRV is the reason they are able to continue reaching for their dreams and changing the future of our world. I hope each recipients knows just how inspirational they are to those of us who are lucky enough to read their stories.
Jessica Breugelmans
Scholarship Committee Member and Board Member
Grant funds from the Community Foundation helped provide updated technology. These upgrades were transformative. By creating new time saving processes, it turned us into a more efficient organization.
Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry
Grantee
