Over 600 children and adults with special needs have had the opportunity to experience the joy of horses during the summer thanks to the Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation. They have graciously donated over $80,000 over 10 years to Pal-O-Mine Equestrian to give individuals a sense of freedom, help them overcome their fears and live out their dreams!
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Strategic partnerships that are built on trust, respect and compassion often are the best kind…Pal-O-Mine Equestrian is most fortunate to have a long lasting collaboration with the Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation…our partnership goes way beyond the monetary value that Lisa Beth brings to Pal-O-Mine. Besides funding over $75,000 of our Summer Camp Experiences for our children and adults over many years, it is the people behind the Foundation who make this partnership work. The Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation takes a vested interest in who and what they support; they have never missed an opportunity to come and visit Pal-O-Mine, they chat with the kids, they show a deep genuine interest in what goes on at the farm and they share in what they have made possible all these years.
Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation continued support of Pal-O-Mine Equestrian has provided countless opportunities for our clients and students. They are beyond wonderful!!!
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For the past 11 years Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation has provided camp and work study experiences to our Pal-O-Mine Equestrian students, who without their support would not have the opportunity for a summer experience. They are not only generous and dedicated, but reliable and consistent in their support. Thank you!!!
My First Opportunity
The year was 2014 when I first began horse riding. I remember Lisa told me
“One day you will ride alone.” I made a face but now I’m actually doing it on my own and I love it. A couple of years later I began JSTEP, I started with just one day a week and now I do four days a week. Soon I plan on doing five days a week. All my life I’ve been waiting for this opportunity and I still can’t believe it. There are no words for this place and the people here.
The End,
Henry M Lozano
For the past couple of years, I have been lucky enough to be a part of Pal-O-Min'es camp and work study programs, which are funded by the Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation. Their wonderful support has brought about countless laughs, has facilitated growth, and has created many memories. These experiences are ones that students and staff will cherish, and these opportunities would not be possible without this wonderful organization!
As the end of the school year approaches, parents who have children with special needs or disabilities are often faced with the difficulty of finding a summer program for their child. Most parents wish for their child to have the same quality, engaging and fun experience as other children in their community, however an inclusive summer camp program may not be readily available to whether due to the cost or just availability in the community.
For all school-age children, a full-day summer camp program has proven to have many benefits to further develop their growth and development during the summer months. For children with special needs, the benefits are much greater as campers have the opportunity to broaden their experiences with a balance of structured activities, physical activity, socialization and independence. All of which, will provide campers with a memorable summer, while also meeting the campers unique needs.
Thanks to the Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation, The Gateway Family YMCA was able to provide a summer camp experience to more special needs children and ensure our staff had additional training needed to support these children. With the experience of going on off-site field trips, special events like Color Runs, daily swim instruction, engaging with campers of similar ages and more, the campers who attended our summer camp through The Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation were able to have the same summer experience as other children, while their parents had piece of mind that their child was in a safe, quality and age appropriate setting.
The Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation has allowed us to offer weeks of summer camp fun to the participants of our programs at Pal-O-Mine Equestrian. We've enjoyed many memorable experiences from pool time to pythons thanks to their generous and enthusiastic support!
Due to the generosity of the Lisa Beth Gertsman Foundation we have been able to service over 100 children in our Inclusive Day Camp!
The Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation has been supporting the Summer Day Camp Inclusion Program at the Shorefront YM-YWHA of Brighton-Manhattan Beach, Inc. for 6 years already. The camp is located in South Brooklyn, NY. The generosity of this foundation has allowed our organization to include children ages 5-12 with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities in our general summer day camp. We were able to provide more staff in each group that consisted on a majority of typically developing campers and a few campers with special needs. This program is a success story and has contributed immensely to the social skills enhancement of our special needs campers while integrated in the camp and being exposed to natural role modeling of the other campers and staff. Both campers and their families have been very satisfied with the experience, and the campers felt proud and fulfilled during their participation at our lively, fun-filled summer camp activities. We are so grateful to the Lisa Beth Gertsman Foundation for their continuous support and caring for our youth with disabilities, this foundation's work has expanded inclusion possibilities to so many children who would never be included in summer camps otherwise. We are looking forward to more future collaborations!
The Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation is an extraordinary non-profit foundation and without the support of this foundation there are many children and families that would not receive the support that we are able to provide for them. Every summer we are able to provide summer camp for numerous families in the Bronx whom have children with special needs. These children are turned away at most camps because of the inability to support their needs. We are able to provide a safe and nurturing environment for these families with the support from the Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation.
It has been an honor for me to be able to help out with this wonderful foundation. It is rewarding to know any support that I can give whether it is helping prepare for the yearly golf outing or even donating when I can goes to help not just with the summer camps but other wonderful causes. The Gerstman Family has put noting less than 100% behind this foundation to make it as wonderful as it is. I appreciate that they have allowed me to participate in such a wonderful cause and look forward to doing so for many years to come.
Since 2013, The Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation has been a vital supporter of the summer camp at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children, a national leader in pediatric post-acute care. Because of their support, our summer camp can offer programs for young people from ages 5-25 that have complex physical and developmental disabilities. The focus of our summer camp program is to help children of all ages to grow and thrive in a healthy environment while building new skills and creating new friendships. Their continued support has allowed St. Mary’s to continue our hugely popular Special Olympics Summer Session as part of our Summer Camp offerings. This program uses competitive games as a vehicle to teach sportsmanship, team building, and problem-solving skills to participants. We thank you for your commitment to building a brighter future for children with special healthcare needs. We are looking forward to another great summer.
Thank you to the Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation for supporting Pal O Mine in their summer opportunities for our students. The support of the foundation allows Pal O Mine to provide the participants experiences in growth and learning while interacting with animals and humans. The results are seen in the smiles and enthusiasm of all who are a part of the program.
Lisa Beth Foundation is a great organization filled with caring and wonderful people.
Proud to be sponsor to their annual fund raising events.
For the last six years I have been honored to be a counselor for Pal-O-Mine's summer camp and work study program, which is funded through the Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation. The experience each year has been extraordinarily transforming, not only for myself but for the students of Pal-O-Mine. The students are provided opportunities to grow, heal and learn in an environment where they feel safe and respected. A gift that could only be provided with the generous help and funding from the Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation. We are so grateful for their continual support and inspiration. Thank you!!
Children who are deaf or hearing impaired have often expressed their feelings of social isolation, of feeling that they are alone in their schools or families. Many wonder if there will be a place for them with meaningful friendships or, a place to work as they grow older. The Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation provides the funding for the Samuel Field Y to provide a special 13 day summer experience where children who are deaf and hearing impaired play, learn and work with one another as well as with their hearing peers in a small, intensive community. The result - a summer camp where there is value in multiple methods of communication, a place where children learn new communication skills and where children of all ages and ability levels have fun! Thank you LBG!!!!
Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation has given countless students from Pal-O-Mine Equestrian the oppertunity to participate in summer camp / summer experiences. As a result of their generosity our students learn horse care, learn to ride, and many more activities, and most of all have fun!!
Thank you for all you do for our students!!!
The Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation has supported Pal-O-Mine's summer camp and work study program for many years now. The children and teens look forward to it every summer. So does the staff! Because of this foundation, our summer students have the opportunity for authentic experiences that they will remember all of their lives. Thank you!
Thank you Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation for your support of our summer camp. This camp provides outstanding experiences for the children you help to attend. They experience the beauty of the natural world, they interact with horses and other animals, they participate in fun activities and most of all they feel the unconditional love from all of us at Pal O Mine. Thank you for helping us provide this experience.
