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Liz Reinhardt, Century Group’s Director of Marketing, is also an animal lover who spends time during the weekend volunteering at The Gentle Barn in Santa Clarita. Like Arielle, she too was drawn to the organization based on their active social media presence. “There are many animal sanctuaries in California, but none is like the Gentle Barn,” she shared.
Founded by Ellie Laks, the Gentle Barn rescues and rehabilitates abused animals. They also host inner city and special needs children during the week, who learn kindness, compassion and confidence from the rescued animals. “The gentle approach they promote exudes in everything they do,” Liz said. “People are often astounded by the peaceful and friendly nature of the animals, especially once they hear the rescue stories. It’s a true testament to the environment Ellie has nurtured.”
For the past six years, the organization has hosted a holiday event in South Central Los Angeles, complete with a bounce house, face painting, gifts and clothing for the kids. For some of the families, these are the only gifts they will get for the holidays, so it has become another way The Gentle Barn gives back to inner city kids who participate in their programs. Each year, they strive to make the holiday event bigger and better, and they’ve set a lofty goal for 2017. They are looking for anything from shoes and clothes for the kids to toasters and coffeemakers for the adults. Learn more about this past year’s event here; if you or your organization would like to make a donation for next year’s holiday event, contact them at [email protected]. You can learn more about The Gentle Barn and how you can visit, as well as links to find them on social media, at www.gentlebarn.org. |
