Hope Center "Seeing" the Impact Lighting Produces
Twinsburg, Ohio (July 26, 2017) - In today’s world, we tend to promote so much negativity that to come across a feel-good story, one can only hope. We see bad things happen to good people and we hope there is a way to invoke a change. We see our troops return home from service in hope of find their original place in the world again. We hear of life changing injuries that create a hope of recovery so that a healthy life can still be lived. We watch parents raising children with specific conditions in hope of finding better ways to connect with their child, and more importantly, for their child to connect with them. Perhaps, with all this hope for a good story in the world today, the logical place to turn would be The Hope Center.
Since it’s opening in 2013, the Hope Center, located in Perryville, MO, has been delivering life changing services to many families with members dealing with a number of conditions. The science of therapeutic horseback riding does not have a long history, but has without questions emerged as a leading form of therapy for various patients. Whether children who are dealing with autism, veterans suffering from PTSD, or victims of traumatic injuries learning to use their bodies again; therapeutic horseback riding has produced results no other form of medicine has been able to deliver.
“With certain patients, the challenge has been finding a way to communicate with them so that they engage. Sometimes human ways of communicating just aren’t effective in certain cases, “said Rick Schemel Sr, one of the directors of the Hope Center and a lifetime horse enthusiast, “Animals communicate with humans very differently, there is a lot more contact involved. Whereas we might not be able to engage them, when you put them on a horse, the sensation of being on a large animal and the movement back and forth of the hose, it forces them to focus on their balance, which heightens their overall sense of awareness. This allows them to only to communicate better, but to appreciate the experience at a level they could not otherwise.”
While outgoing value of The Hope Center is always above any level of expectation, since it is a nonprofit organization, there is always a challenge to have value delivered into facility. One of those challenges was providing efficient lighting for the facility. “Our lighting was really bad in here. We had to buy used fixtures when we first opened”, said Schemel. Those fixtures were high bays containing 400W High Pressure Sodium lamps, which provides a low density yellowish color, often used in street lighting. Rick reached out to Kevin Amschler of Cape Electric, a local electrical distributor, to see if he knew of any options to improve the light output. Amschler, a horse owner himself, met with Schemel and paid a visit to the facility.
“I immediately felt a connection here”, says Amschler, “This was something that I wanted to support and not being able to find a way to upgrade the lighting was not really an option for me. I saw the value immediately.” Cape Electric partnered up with Venture Lighting out of Cleveland, OH and Ward and Burton, who represents Venture in Eastern and Central Missouri.
“Cape Electric and Ward & Burton have both been phenomenal partners for us,” says Charlie Duggan of Venture Lighting. “So when they asked us about the possibility of lighting upgrade as a donation, I knew it was we would want to find a way to make happen.” Duggan then visited the site along with Amschler and Shaun McClintock of Ward & Burton to get a tour of the facility and figure out what would be needed. “Although we didn’t admit it right away, we were sold on it in the first 30 seconds”, said McClintock, “We wanted to make sure we got the full tour before we said yes because the story is that impressive.”
Two months later, the three companies were able to deliver brand new LED fixtures, giving the facility a new look and perhaps, well, a brighter hope. “The lighting makes a huge difference. Not only has it lowered our energy costs, but what happens in here are special moments for these families; moments they will want to hold onto. Whether it’s taking a photo, or just committing to memory, having the right light out here really changes the way these moments are captured”, said Schemel after the new fixtures were installed.
“We’re lucky to have great partners in Cape Electric and Ward & Burton,” said Duggan following the installation. “Together, the three of us have taken on many projects. But this has easily been the most enjoyable. Sometimes you know you’re at a place where special things happen when you step foot on the premises. We all knew right away that this was one of those places.”
Now with therapeutic accomplishments that can be seen even easier, the Hope Center is looking to continue to grow the number of lives it’s changing on an annual basis. “Every year we’ve grown since we’ve been open. We now have 58 different clients ranging in ages from 3-60. It’s amazing how the horses can benefit so many different age groups dealing with the same conditions”, said Schemel who added, “ I’ll never get over the joy I experience when I see the looks on faces of families who are engaging with a relative at a level the previously never have.”
Schemel strongly encourages anyone to visit The Hope Center in Perryville. It could very well be the feel-good story that makes a difference in your life.
To download the press release, click here.
To download the Success Story brochure, click here.
