Changing Lives Through the Power of Horses at McLENDON HILLS

The McLendon Hills community in North Carolina is best known for its Equestrian Center, which features fully outfitted stables, training programs, 8.5 miles of bridle trails, and the region’s finest horse-show facilities. Soon after it opened, the McLendon Hills Equestrian Center also became the host site for Prancing Horse, an innovative therapeutic riding program for children and adults with physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities. Today, due in no small part to the community’s fundraising efforts, Prancing Horse has its own dedicated facility, where McLendon Hills riders continue to volunteer their time and equestrian expertise.

“When you experience it first-hand, you know that something very special is happening,” said Nancy Piscopo, a long-time McLendon Hills resident and Director of the Prancing Horse Center. “It might be words spoken for the first time, a look of pure joy, or just being able to bring some calm and quiet to life’s noise and stress. Volunteering at Prancing Horse has allowed me to not only give back to my community, it has given me the gift of experiencing these special moments, knowing that our students' lives and their families are being changed for the better. ‘Changing lives through the power of horses’ is more than just our slogan.”

Other McLendon Hills residents donate their time to a variety of area nonprofits. Carol Houck and her neighbors help out at Caring Hearts for Canines, a local animal-rescue shelter. Karen Marshall and her friends use their skills to make Quilts of Valor for military veterans. Peter Dotto heads up a regional group that works with the Toys for Tots program.

And because its property owners association runs McLendon Hills, the time donated by members is vital, from overseeing security and common-area maintenance to testing the waters in Lake Troy Douglas. Even the Woodworking Club does its part, building lakeside kayak racks and unique sunning docks for turtles, in the McLendon Hills community where volunteering is an important part of the lifestyle.

Keowee Key members in upstate South Carolina have always been generous in supporting charitable organizations. But Jon Bachman and some of his like-minded neighbors thought that there could be a more focused effort to support local nonprofits. So in 2018, they created the Keowee Key Community Partnership (KKCP).

“We knew that Keowee Key members were giving tens of thousands of hours each year as volunteers,” said Bachman, who serves as Chair of the 11-member KKCP board. “We thought that we could leverage that volunteerism to drive contributions to organizations helping people right here in Oconee County.”

The KKCP designates local “Partner” charities, some nominated by Keowee Key volunteers and others which apply for support. Each is vetted to ensure that they are IRS-certified nonprofits and all agree to issue tax-deductible receipts for donations received. “Our Partners commit to invest donations received from Keowee Key exclusively within Oconee County and to report back quarterly to KKCP the total of those contributions,” Bachman said. “KKCP doesn’t collect or disburse any funds directly, nor do we know the identities of donors, but we do promote our Partners to encourage volunteers and donors.

“Through the end of 2020, our Partners have reported contributions from Keowee Key of more than $475,000,” he continued. “That includes matching funds from our members’ employers, or the former employers of retirees and from local companies doing business here in Keowee Key. That financial support has really been appreciated in the past year due to COVID-19 restrictions on in-person volunteer activities and the cancellation of some fundraising events.”

Among the 20 KKCP Partner charities are local chapters of national and regional nonprofits and smaller charities specific to Oconee County. Together they address many of the educational, nutritional, medical, and social needs of less-fortunate residents in the county. “Our agreement with each Partner is that all money received from Keowee Key members is spent in Oconee County,” Bachman said.

“In the year ahead,” he concluded, “we want to expand the number of our Keowee Key member participants, especially among new residents. We also hope to get more local businesses involved as donors and add new Partners where we can have a positive impact on the good work that they’re doing.”