Friday, July 19, 2013

Welcome!

Hello, my name is Nicole and I am a volunteer and board member of the Fidelis Foundation.  I am excited to share information about this wonderful organization, located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

I first heard of the Fidelis Foundation when I was working at a residential home for young men in foster care.  The boys were invited out to Fidelis on the fourth Sunday of each month.  I was beyond excited to share horses with the youth I was working with.  I had ridden horses as a kid and I remember how I felt bonding with horses and thought that it would be a great fit for some of the youth in the home.

I remember loading up the bus and driving to the barn.  I heard some boys chatting about a fear of horses, some were filled with fear of stepping in manure, and some speaking fondly about riding horses in the past.  When we arrived we were greeted by smiling volunteers who welcomed us to the facility. Each session began with an opening prayer, thanking the Lord for bringing us together again and providing us with the beautiful animals we would soon begin to build relationships with.

As the months went on, the talk on the bus ride turned into talk of which horse was their favorite, the smiling volunteers greeted us with hugs, and the boys turned out to be pretty good riders.  However, my favorite transformation was in the boys themselves.  When they left the barn they returned to the house more confident.  The time they had spent with the volunteers had taught them about leadership, self-respect, and control of their emotions.

As my career changed, I knew I had to become a part of this beautiful organization and reach out to other at-risk youth in the community and I am happy to say I have done just that.  I spend each of my Sunday afternoons with my Fidelis family and I am thankful that you have taken the time to learn more about our organization.  Each week I will be posting about the experiences at Fidelis.  I strongly encourage you to come out and see the changes we are making in these children's lives first hand!


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