Grand Canyon Times

The Whispering Hope Ranch Foundation has been awarded $232,000 through the Mercy Community Action Resources Education and Service (C.A.R.E.S.) Community Reinvestment grant program to purchase adaptive equipment and fund animal care for their Nature’s Nurses program.

Whispering Hope "provides hope and healing to children with special needs" through inclusive camp activities, according to in a Nov. 15 press release.

“Nature’s Nurses brings together children and animals living with disabilities or illnesses for thoughtful interaction during the normal course of our camp programming,” said Mary Clark, Whispering Hope Ranch Foundation executive director, in the release. “Our goal through this program is to give our campers a sense of belonging and community and enhance well-being during and after their weeklong camp session.”

Clark said animal interaction and equine-facilitated programs have a wide range of benefits for children with special needs, including improved emotional stability and self-esteem, improved physical, mental, and emotional healing, as well as socialization in an environment in where animals provide non-threatening contact and unconditional acceptance, the release stated.

“Since opening our doors in 1999, we have provided a safe, fun, and therapeutic respite for children living with any medical, physical, developmental, or emotional disability,” Clark said. “Nature’s Nurses is the heart of the ranch experience and a critical reason for our continued impact. Through this grant, Whispering Hope will be able to ensure that the healing that happens between campers and our gentle animal residents continues for years to come.”

Mercy Care’s community giving initiative involves grant funding, sponsorships, volunteerism, and board participation. Mercy C.A.R.E.S supports Arizona’s Health Care Cost Containment System Whole Person Care Initiative, which examines risk factors to improve health outcomes, according to the release.

“Through Mercy C.A.R.E.S., we have a robust community reinvestment grant program," said Debbie Hillman Toll, Mercy Care chief administrative officer. "To date, it has awarded more than $15 million in funding to organizations like Whispering Hope, each of which is doing critical work to help the community each day.”

Toll said each grant focuses on addressing Mercy Care’s key community health areas including mental health and wellbeing, housing security and empowering recovery from substance abuse.