PHOENIX — From tighter family budgets, to families struggling to find affordable housing, some of our biggest adult challenges are being felt by even the youngest in our community.
To help ease the pressure these children are facing, Gabriel’s Angels sends dozens of pet therapy teams out into Valley schools and other agencies in need. The ask for these therapy teams is so great there's a wait list for schools who want to provide their services for there students. So the group is looking for more volunteers.
Scout and Lisa Levey are a Gabriel's Angels pet therapy team that works with at-risk students at Solano Elementary in Phoenix. They were on campus greeting students on their first day of school, helping them navigate through all of the new lessons. Once the school year gets started, Levey is part of a literacy program.
“We work with the same three kids every week for the full semester," Levey said. "It’s part of the ABC program which is animals, books and children.”
With Scout's help, children in the program improve their reading skills and work on seven core behaviors. They also develop a very special bond with Scout.
“Sometimes they're a little self-conscious about reading in front of the other students," Levey said. "Maybe some of the other students make fun of them. With Scout, they know they’re not going to be ridiculed in any way and they just enjoy being with the dog.”
But Gabriel’s Angels pet therapy program, which is a hit at Solano with Scout, also has a big need. The organization’s CEO, Melissa Steimer, said there are about 20 unfilled spots waiting for a pet therapy team to help kids in need in the Valley right now.
“When a team is there, the team is really associating with the child through the dog's voice," Steimer said. "So if they’re reading with the child and the child maybe isn’t speaking up, it’s like, what would Scout say? How would Scout handle this?"
Steimer said the pandemic ramped up the need for volunteers when they slowed down. Gabriel's Angels has been rebuilding their teams like Lisa and Scout, ever since.
Steimer also added the need for pet therapy teams has grown since the pandemic. She believes a lot of it stems from every day problems families are facing from lack of housing, to food and children being stressed and anxious.
“They may not be reading, they may not be learning as well," Steimer said. "We say that social-emotional health of a child, to really help a child understand how do they affiliate with others, what does empathy mean, really is that bridge to learning. So if they get there, they’re going to open up. They’re going to have the confidence. They’re going to want to be a participant in school.”
The therapy dog teams are a special pair, teaching children the most important life lessons, they many times don’t even realize they’re in the middle of learning.
Gabriel’s Angels next session to learn how to become a pet therapy volunteer team or helping hand volunteer is the last Tuesday of this month, Aug. 29.
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