Melwood Partners with Promise Landing Farm to Expand Inclusive Equestrian Services

December 14, 2021

Promise Landing Farm will take over leadership and operation of Melwood’s equestrian services, expanding access and scope

December 14, 2021 – Upper Marlboro, Md. – Melwood, a leading employer and advocate for people with disabilities, today announced its partnership with Promise Landing Farm (PLF), an inclusive equestrian community, to assume leadership of equestrian programming at the Melwood Recreation Center in Nanjemoy, Md.

For nearly 20 years, Melwood has been providing horseback riding lessons and equine-assisted services as part of its comprehensive approach to creating inclusive communities and safe spaces for children and adults with disabilities and injured veterans. In particular, the unique therapeutic component of being in nature and interacting with horses can help address sensory and processing challenges for people with disabilities and support the healing process for veterans who have experienced trauma.

This new partnership will transfer all staff, horses, and maintenance to the PLF team, which will offer services at the Melwood Recreation Center in addition to the PLF headquarters location in Upper Marlboro, Md. This will allow both organizations to expand their programming at both sites, increasing their collective reach to serve even more members of the community year-round. Equestrian activities will remain a key component of beloved Melwood programs including Camp Accomplish and Operation Tohidu®.

PLF is dedicated to creating a community in which people of all capabilities can gather and share a love for horses, in the process gaining a deeper understanding and kindness for themselves and others. PLF’s unique approach gives people with and without disabilities ample hands-on opportunities to work alongside the horses and with each other through interactive and educational learning spaces made fully inclusive for all learning styles.

“At Melwood, we’re committed to leveraging the resources and experience of other organizations across the DMV region to advance our mission and serve as many people as possible,” said Larysa Kautz, President & CEO of Melwood. “Promise Landing Farm has been at the forefront of creating inclusive and engaging services for people with disabilities. With our teams’ combined expertise and expansion to two properties with more horses, we’re excited to increase access to these services that help people with disabilities live, work and thrive in our community.”

“Promise Landing Farm is dedicated to making the equestrian industry a more inclusive and welcoming place for people with disabilities,” said Rachel Neff, Executive Director of Promise Landing Farm. “We are excited to be expanding our footprint into Charles County by teaming up with Melwood to manage the equestrian facility at the Melwood Recreation Center. Together we will be able to reach a broader community and create more meaningful opportunities for people with and without disabilities across southern Maryland.”

To learn more about this partnership, services and program registration, please visit: https://www.promiselandingfarm.org/mrc.

About Melwood

Melwood is one of the largest employers of people with disabilities in the country, employing more than 1,600 workers – nearly 1,000 of whom are people with disabilities. Melwood offers job placement, job training, life skills for independence, and support services to more than 2,500 people each year in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Melwood also has an inclusive summer camp program for children and provides employment and support services to veterans and active-duty military members who have experienced service-related trauma or injury. For more information, visit www.Melwood.org.

About Promise Landing Farm

Founded in 2019, Promise Landing Farm is a creative engine for inclusivity, engaging community members with and without disabilities in meaningful interactions with each other and their equine partners to foster a community where everyone is valued and included. For more information, visit www.promiselandingfarm.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Lorianne Walker
Curley Company for Melwood
[email protected]
(410) 688-1330