Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
‘We’re better than ever’
Facility for special-needs children prospers after being rescued by community
POCOPSON >> Two years ago, the Barn at Spring Brook Farm, a facility that provides animalassisted activities for children with disabilities, was all set to close. Codes officers found violations at the facility that would cost upward of $100,000 after a neighbor complained of noise.
But instead of folding, and taking the joy hundreds of special-needs children got from attending camps at The Barn, something amazing happened. Community members rallied around The Barn. Local contractors and architects volunteered to do work free of charge. Local churches staged fundraisers. Donations poured in from all over.
In all, more than $100,000 was raised and the improvements were made to bring the facility up to date. And next month, the Barn, located off Locust Grove, will celebrate its 10th anniversary, healthier than ever.
“This community really rallied around the organizations with financial donations and support,” said Emily McClure, manager at the Barn at Spring Brook Farm. “Now, we’re better than ever and we’re really excited about it. We wouldn’t have gotten to 10 years without the support from the community and the hundreds and hundreds of volunteers who have helped.”
Support has grown so much for The Barn that when a storm took down a huge tree that fell on the popular tree house, a local lumber company donated wood, and volunteers re-built it, even better than it had been.
The Barn has even re-gained its funding from key local organizations, including the Kennett Run, the Mushroom Festival and the Plantation Field.
Even local Boy Scouts are
“We do have a lot of friends. It is amazing.”
helping. Last year, one Eagle Scout built two handicapped-accessible picnic tables with benches. Local colleges, including West Chester University, are starting to send interns to the Barn to study social issues like autism. The Barn was even a recipient of a new, interactive web site courtesy of Legal Internet Solutions, free of charge. The site, www.springbrookfarm.org, goes live the first week of September.
“People are just dropping out of the sky to help, and it so rewarding and so encouraging,” said Mary Beth Drobish, founder of The Barn at Spring Brook Farm. “We do have a lot of friends. It is amazing.”
The plight of The Barn two years ago opened exposure to the community. People who never heard of the organization all of a sudden pledged support. Some began volunteering there. Last year, more volunteers than ever – 300 – helped out with more than 3,000 service hours.
What started out as a backyard hobby with only five special-needs children has blossomed into a unique, successful organization that offers animalassisted therapy unlike no other facility.
“Spring Brook Farm has provided us with a safe and nurturing environment, allowing our daughter to de- velop bonds with her volunteers and all the animals,” said the parent of a 7-year-old special-needs child. “Alannah is now able to express her feelings and emotions with greater clarity and has developed more confidence in initiating and maintaining a conversation due to her participation in Spring Brook Farm programs.
The Barn at Spring Brook Farm, situated on a 17-acre plot of ground, has a $320,000 annual budget with 2.5 employees, and hundreds of volunteers. Its major fundraiser is the upcoming Hoedown at the Barn, slated for Oct. 22, and is open to the public. (Tickets are at springbrook-farm.org). There are waiting lists now for camp, which is booked during the summer, but there is some space in individual programs that run in the fall and spring.
“When kids come to the farm, there are real things for them to do,” Drobish said. “They care for the animals rather than being cared for. The animals motivate the children to do things they ordinarily wouldn’t do. That is very exciting to watch.”
And complaints, Drobish said, are now non-existent.
“There have been no complaints from neighbors,” she said. “We really have put it all behind us how. We are moving forward and we are pleased we can still offer programs to children and their families.”