Company Profile
Whispering Hope Ranch Foundation
Company Overview
Whispering Hope Ranch Foundation brings hope and healing to children with special needs by providing transformational experiences at the only camp facility in Arizona designed and built expressly for them.
During camp children participate in adapted sports, ride horses in our specialized saddles, frolic in the splash pad using aquatic wheelchairs, roast marshmallows and sing songs around the campfire, smiling all the while, thrilled to be able to take part in activities they previously had to watch from the sidelines. Traditional camp activities, such as archery and crafts, are combined with animal interaction and equine facilitated programs. The heart of the Whispering Hope experience is the healing bond that grows between campers and the 60+ gentle animals that reside at the Ranch. Like the campers, many of the animals at the Ranch live with challenges. Some have been rescued from abuse or abandonment. Others were born with physical anomalies, illness or were injured. At Whispering Hope Ranch, differences are accepted, even celebrated – whether human or animal.
Each week of camp the ranch adapts from one pediatric specialty to another. One week the ranch will serve children with cancer. The next week may bring children with autism, muscular dystrophy or those dealing with the trauma of abuse or neglect. The entire ranch is outfitted with the staff, fixtures and equipment necessary to meet their needs. And every camper is encouraged to play at their full potential and at his or her own pace.
With the support of our generous donors and the Foundation’s expertise, we have the opportunity to transform lives by providing an environment for children with special needs where they:
• Feel independent; feel a sense of accomplishment and power; make friends; expand their social and physical boundaries as well as their community of supportive adults and role models.
• Gain a sense of normalcy by not being “the different one”.
• Experience fun, a sense of freedom and shared adventures with children with similar challenges.
• Find a connection with nature and the unconditional love and non-judgment of animals, who themselves have challenges.
• Gain confidence and coping skills that they can use in everyday life.
• Experience respect and dignity, in a place of security for campers of all ages and all levels of ability.
Our vision is for every child with special needs in Arizona to have access to this life changing experience.
For more information, please visit www.whisperinghoperanch.org.
Company History
Founded in 1998, the mission of Whispering Hope Ranch Foundation is to offer special needs children and their families rustic, Arizona ranch-style camp and retreat experiences enhanced by programs designed to foster nurturing interactions between campers and the animals residing at the ranch.