July 2022: Susan Perlman
Susan Perlman
Our July Volunteer of the Month is Susan Perlman. Susan has been a horse person since she was a child and is happiest when she is around them. Back in 2010 Susan heard about Stride Ahead when she was looking for a place to take horseback riding and be around horses as a volunteer. Previously she had volunteered at the equine program at Chastain Park but she was now living in Decatur and wanted to be closer to a program near her. To learn more about Stride Ahead she emailed our founder, Anne Preston. They met for lunch and she was sold and has been a volunteer ever since.
Susan’s role with Stride Ahead is a little different than most volunteers. While she loves to help with lessons, her availability for those lessons is limited due to her work schedule. Happily there are many ways to volunteer with Stride Ahead and early on Susan became a member of the Core Team, Stride Ahead’s advisory group. She attends board meetings and works both with the board and staff to market our various programs while seeking out new resources and connections.
Susan is especially interested in our veteran programs and has worked tirelessly to find new connections with that community. She leaves no stone unturned and will follow any lead if it helps veterans find their way to the Stride Ahead team. Susan says when she tells other people about Stride Ahead many seem deeply touched by everything our programs provide to people in need.
Susan has had a lot of experiences with Stride Ahead over the years but a favorite volunteer moment was when a wheelchair-bound woman with MS was at her lesson. It wasn’t her first lesson but Susan remembers the woman voicing her wide-eyed excitement of looking down at people from atop her horse instead of looking up at them from her wheelchair. Susan believes that kind of experience brings home the impact of our programs on its riders. Seeing these types of reactions gives so much satisfaction and is actually therapeutic for her.
One thing that has always impressed Susan is the way our staff, volunteers and barn staff have worked closely together to ensure that Stride Ahead runs so smoothly. She sees that everyone on the team has their own way of volunteering and it’s really beautiful to see how all those parts fit together to take such good care of our horses and clients.
We can’t do this without volunteers like you, Susan, so thanks from everyone at Stride Ahead!
Thank you, Susan!
If you would like to make a donation in honor of Susan and all of our wonderful volunteers who make Stride happen, thank you.
