Helping Horses Help Kids & Others

2020 Therapy Horse Derby

Fundraising Goals

PBJ Connections has a goal of raising $60,000 through the HHHKO Therapy Horse Derby. Hitting this goal is critical to our mission, as this event normally funds about a quarter of our annual budget. Since our 13th Annual Helping Horses Help Kids Charity Event cannot be held in person due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are asking you to help us move our event to a fun and exciting virtual platform. We encourage you to form a team around one of our therapy animals, with each team having a goal of raising a minimum of $2,500. When we all work together, you will be surprised how you can hit, or even surpass, your goal! You can start fundraising anytime, but we will have an official kick-off Virtual ‘Live’ Event on October 2, 2020. The event will end with a final ceremony in a Virtual ‘Live’ format on December 28, 2020.

Where the Money Goes 

PBJ Connections provides professional behavioral health therapy to children, adults and families through horses, counseling and nature. We commit to serving all who need mental health services, regardless of their ability to pay. As a locally operated non-profit, nearly all funds raised go directly to providing programming. The money raised will support the following programs. The teams are named for our therapy animals to generate a fun “horse race” atmosphere but the animals themselves do not receive the funding as they are already cared for by private owners!

• CONNECT Program: Provides individual and family Eagala model EAP. Clients are able to use health insurance to cover a portion of the cost and scholarships are awarded for those who cannot pay. Clients are not turned away due to an inability to pay.
• A PONY Program: Provides Eagala model psychoeducational groups to youth from local schools. Youth work on leadership skills such as positive coping skills, positive communication, teambuilding, and group dynamics.
• Office Sessions: Provides traditional talk therapy sessions out of our Pataskala location as there is a distinct lack of mental health providers in Pataskala.
• Family Coaching: Provides a six-week intervention for families wanting to improve the way their families communicate and function, using the Eagala model.
• On Mission: Provides half-day Eagala model equine-assisted learning experiences for Veterans and First Responders in collaboration with Save a Warrior. 
• Recovery Connections:  Provides Eagala model equine-assisted psychotherapy to groups receiving treatment at local substance abuse treatment facilities.
• Healthy Expressions:  An expressive arts group program facilitated by a Licensed Independent Social Worker.  Participants are challenged to create a variety of projects targeting insight, healthy self-expression and emotional regulation, and then to process their work with a group.
• Research: PBJ Connections is partners with researchers, primarily out of The Ohio State University College of Social Work, to provide program evaluation and research on Eagala model EAP.