A Bridge to a More Enriched Life for Those with Special Needs - with TERI
Welcome back, readers! Thanks for checking in to learn about the good things that are happening in the nonprofit space in our San Diego County communities! This edition of the Village Visionary features TERI, a nonprofit headquartered in North County. This nonprofit has so much amazingness going on that I decided not to limit this post to a conversation with just one person. In this post, I share my conversation with TERI’s Marketing and Communications Manager -- whose name, ironically, is also Teri – and you’ll also read comments from the Farm Manager, Emily Field; from Greg, the Director of Legacy, Sustaining, and Community Engagement; and from a few of the employees involved in the equestrian therapy program! To save space, I’ve meshed all these conversations together! Read on, and be inspired!
Thank you so much for talking with me today! If you don’t mind, give us an overview of what TERI is all about.
Teri: One of [our] main goals is changing the way the world sees and looks at people with autism and developmental disabilities. This came about because the founder, back when she was in college, witnessed…how they were treated during that time frame, in institutions and things like that, and just ignored. And she felt like there was so much more that could be done for them. We really work on wherever that individual is at. We work with them behaviorally, to make improvements, and then we also work in developing whatever their interests are and whatever skills or talents that may be hidden, so to speak, within them, by exposing them to all these different programs and things that we offer that allow them to really blossom and have a more fulfilling life. It’s basically about changing the trajectory of their lives.
One of TERi’s clients, Jason, has found a new freedom to communicate with others after spending time with the organization’s therapy horses.
We have educational opportunities to help them get to colleges [and] be more contributing members of society, and again, have a more fulfilled life themselves. These kids want to do a lot of the same things that any kid wants to do. They want to have a job, they want to have a meaningful life, they want to be able to contribute; they just don’t find the opportunities because people don’t always meet them where they’re at. They’re expected to fit into the society in a certain way, and they can’t always do that. So, we’re changing the way the world sees them and views them, to look at them where they’re at, and not take advantage of them but take advantage of what they have to offer.
Emily Field: TERI is currently a global model for autism services and disability services. If it’s a service that is typically provided to people on the spectrum, we do it. Our goal is to support our clients in every aspect of their life, not just what they need to survive. We’re not just feeding, clothing, and housing them, we’re enriching their lives and giving them the opportunity to express themselves and participate in activities the same [as] anybody who isn’t on the autism spectrum would have.
Tell us a little bit about your resident homes.
Teri: We have thirteen homes right now…all with adults with different disabilities, anything from autism to brain injuries to Down syndrome. This is basically giving them a place to live for life, especially when the parents are no longer able to care for them. It’s a supervised setting, there’s someone there 24/7, so they’re taken care of. They’re in residential neighborhoods, so they’re integrated with the community. Many of these homes are very beautiful, they’re very nice. They have swimming pools, barbecues; we have gardening opportunities at just about all of them now. They raise their own food, they learn how to cook, they learn practical skills to help them live. They’re also given the opportunity to be social with each other and have fun, and also participate in our day programs. It’s a more enriched life for them, and they’re much happier. And the families are happier, and the families are relieved [that] they have a place for their adult disabled person to go and be, should they pass on, and know that they’re well taken care of and they’re happy.
What are some of the programs that you offer?
Teri: We have three schools; we have all kinds of enrichment programs. We have performing arts, we have music, (we’ve actually formed a TERI band now), we have equestrian. We have the Center for Arts and Adult Education, where they make all kinds of art and products, which we sell in our inspired resale shop and Sunday markets, things like that. We have a woodworking shop now. We have a comprehensive program in that we have fitness for them so that they stay healthy. We have a culinary program; they can train vocationally for that. We have farms with microgreens that we sell now to restaurants. They can work on the farm, they can help raise animals and vegetables, which provide food source[s] for our residential homes. We also work on sustainability for the organization and keeping the kids healthy, as healthy as we can make them, with organic food and healthy food.
Kelsie, a TERi employee, works with the microgreens in the greenhouse on one of the organization’s urban farms.
Tell us more about the microgreens that you grow and sell.
Emily F: A few years ago…we were given a donation from a long-time donor and he said, “Microgreens are a big business; you should get into it now.” So, we actually built this greenhouse and we started figuring out how to grow microgreens.
Microgreens are just small, nutrient-dense, edible plants. If it’s a vegetable, it can pretty much be grown as a microgreen…so, it’s just a tiny green. The majority of people growing microgreens are not certified organic, which we are, and they also don’t grow them in a soil mix, they grow them in a soil-less media, which is either hydroponic, or these mats that the seeds just sort of sprout on. What we have found [is that] because our greens are grown in soil and they develop a hearty root system, they are sturdier and last longer in the refrigerator. We’re also direct-to-restaurants, we don’t go through a distributor at the moment. Our microgreens are harvested and then packaged and delivered to the restaurant within 3-4 days.
And the proceeds from these sales go back into the organization?
Emily F: Yes. They help support the rest of the ag department, [i.e.] the livestock program, the CSA farm program, the garden program.
TERi’s microgreens are grown to order and delivered to local restaurants within days of being harvested.
Some of the restaurants that buy TERI’s microgreens include (but are not limited to): LTH, Wrench and Rodent Seabasstropub, Barrel Republic, Urge Gastropub, Island Prime, and Herb and Sea. When you patronize these places, consider congratulating them for giving their business to such a wonderful cause!
After giving me a tour of one of TERI’s urban farms and their greenhouse, Emily was kind enough to drive me to the site of their future Campus of Life in San Marcos, which is already home to their equestrian therapy program and will soon be the headquarters to all of their programs. We’re greeted by Emily Craft, who gives us a rundown of the equestrian therapy program.
Emily Craft: We have six riding horses and two miniature horses. Our program works with a variety of abilities, from [lifting] the students onto the horse if they need it, to…people who ride completely independently; walk, trot, canter, doing advanced skills, and everything in between. We focus mostly on riding skills and teaching the students independence and how they can connect with another being. It’s usually easier for them to connect with an animal, and they can become more independent and feel like they have more control over the situation.
Jason grooms Winnie, one of TERi’s therapy horses.
She introduces me to Jason, a client of TERI’s Center for Arts and Adult Education, as well as a participant in the Equestrian Vocational Training Program.
What do you do here, Jason?
Jason: A little of everything, whatever they need me to do.
Emily C: He helps train new horses that come in to be lesson horses. We do mock lessons with the horses when they first start to make sure that they’re comfortable with anything that could happen in a lesson, and he’s really good at being really calm if the horse gets scared, things like that. The horses all seem to like Jason; he’s got a really calm presence with the horses. He helps with cleaning the stalls, cleaning the barn; he helps with grooming, getting the horses ready for lessons. He rides once a week. We try to do more if we can, but he’s got a lesson once a week, on Thursdays.
What makes a horse valuable as a therapy tool?
Megan (a staff member): I’ve really seen the magic with the minis a lot. I’ve seen a lot of people who are nonverbal be able to start having a bond or a relationship with one of the mini horses. I think [it’s] just because they’re gentle and quiet. They start a bond, and then it goes to a bigger horse. And it’s cool because then it goes to riding. And then it gives them that independence. Even with Jason, he can take out the horse even independently. He has all the responsibilities of grooming a horse, tacking a horse, and all that. Yes, it took over seven years to get to that point, but Jason was never a verbal guy when he first came here, [nor] even wanting to be around people.
Emily C: The horses are very quiet, they don’t make a lot of noise, and they tend to be fairly still. It takes a specific kind of horse to be a therapy horse, not every horse can do this job. They have to be okay with sudden movements, sudden sounds – and they’re prey animals so they are naturally more fearful of those things. Certain horses would try to run away from that or get out of the situation. These horses, innately, are just very calm and gentle. They’re not worried about things.
After visiting the horses, Emily Field gives me a tour of the rest of the acreage of TERI’s future campus. Right now, it’s just land, but soon it will be the site of state-of-the-art facilities, not only for TERI’s clients, but for the whole community to enjoy.
Tell us about your Campus for Life project.
Teri: That’s been an ongoing project for some time. We have this property out in San Marcos that we own, and we’re trying to build this campus that is meant to be a model for the world. Actually, it’s gained a lot of interest from different countries, and they’ve come to visit us as a result. It’s going to be a model of sustainability and vocational training; of performing arts [and] music; of integration of these kids that are living with special needs with the community, because they’ll have more interactions with the community there. It’s also going to be a place where we can have all of our schools in one place instead of in separate buildings. They spend a lot of time commuting to the programs and things like that, so it will all be centralized and they’ll have less time commuting, and more class time. It’s meant to offer more opportunities for more individuals with autism and developmental disabilities, because we see that population increasing.
These beautiful trees await the community that will enjoy them on TERi’s Campus for Life in the near future.
Greg: All [of] the programs that we already have running, everything that we have going on now will be moved there. Only, these buildings will be specifically designed for our guys. We’ll have a junior Olympic pool there; we’ll have a gym there with a yoga studio and dance studio and weight rooms and machines and everything else. We already have an acre and a half of row crops planted there. We’ll be growing more food there — we’ll probably triple what we’re doing now. Right now, we do about 1,000 lbs. per month. We’ll also have a daycare out there for staff. The therapeutic equestrian program is already out there. The performing arts building will be there. The performing arts building also has recording studios, rehearsal spaces, and that will include the theater and music programs. And next to that will be the Center for the Arts and Adult Education, and that’s where the arts and crafts will happen. We’ll also have a little boutique out there. We’ll be able to distribute CSA boxes from everything that we’re growing to the community.
This isn’t just for us, this is for the whole community…so this means that people who need studio space, who need yoga studio space, who need a venue for their play. We’ll have a culinary department there, a proper licensed kitchen. So people, when they’re doing events at our property, can either use our guys for catering, or they can bring their caterers in because we’ve got [the] facility for it. So, this will be for the whole community.
Many of TERi’s residents help to grow their own food. This allows them to not only have healthy food but also to help TERi be a self-sustainable organization.
Teri: It allows us to increase our offering to more in the community. A huge thing that the parents are looking for are vocational opportunities, as I mentioned. Once they get out of high school, it’s kind of like the end…it’s the cliff. This gives them jobs, a way to make a living. It helps support TERI as a nonprofit. Maybe they’re interested in farming, or they’re interested in doing art, or they’re interested in performing. Whatever it is, they get that opportunity and it helps them feel better about themselves, it gives them more self-confidence. There [are] these intangibles that it increases, as well as their skills.
What sort of vocational opportunities will there be?
Teri: We’re planning to have a café there, where we serve food to the public. There’s going to be a pizza place, so they’ll be cooking, serving, working in a culinary type of environment. There’ll be a retail shop. We’re going to grow and sell flowers, so there’ll be flower arranging. We’ll still be doing the woodworking and the art, and those products will be sold in the retail store. They’ll be running the retail store or helping with any kind of duties related to the store, similar to what they do for our inspired resale that we run right now, that they also work at.
How much money do you still need to raise for the campus?
Teri: We’re on Phase 2b right now. We needed to raise another $1.4 million, and we just received a donation for $1 million, so now we just need the $0.4 million. We’re planning on starting building the vocational building this year, possibly within the next couple of months, provided all the plans are approved. It’s really going to let the campus take off, I think…there’s going to be a lot of community integration, and opportunities for the community to use the property as well. So, just getting that vocational building done will be huge.
What has surprised you the most while working in the nonprofit world?
Teri: Being around the clients themselves; I never expected to witness their happiness. And their happiness creates our happiness, because [when] we realize how happy they are, it makes us happy to be a part of that. And it’s not that they maybe weren’t happy before, but they’re just so happy to be at TERI and to be involved in these programs. It really is a more fulfilling life for them.
What would you say has been the biggest challenge that you’ve encountered?
Teri: Because of nonprofits having to have such a tight rein on their dollars, and how they spend and where they spend, in terms of staffing…it means wearing many hats, and it also means you have to do more with less, so to speak. As long as TERI’s been around, 40-some years, there’s still people [who] don’t know who we are and what we offer. That, I think, is the biggest challenge. Making it, even locally, a well-known organization….creating that knowledge and level of interest in what we offer.
What’s one thing that you wish the public knew?
Emily Field, her dog, OG, and Greg, at one of TERi’s urban farms.
Teri: There are so many nonprofits now, and people tend to donate to things like animals or health issues like cancer, and I think it’s all well and good; I do that myself. I think they don’t realize that there’s also a strong need for this, because as I mentioned, according to the figures the number of autistic children being born is growing. And I think that’s there’s other meaningful ways to give, and TERI’s one of those organizations that does some very meaningful, very impactful work with these kids…(I say kids, but adults, too)…not just changing their life, but changing their family’s life. It has this ripple effect. And then, it also changes the community, when they come to see the TERI players do a show, or they come to a basketball game, or they get exposed to the microgreens. These companies can actually give back by purchasing our microgreens, versus [purchasing] from some other organization. It’s hard to make that connection, sometimes, about how much good we can do and how much impact we can have, because there are so many other nonprofits that need funding, too.
How can people get involved and help?
Greg: Tell the story. You don’t know who this is going to resonate with. Donations. Also, come and volunteer…it’s a warm, happy place. It’s an experience of triumph.
Teri: There are actually multiple ways, and any of them are helpful. We obviously rely on a lot of volunteers, which helps us save money. We have an inspired resale shop, where they can donate household goods, clothing, or they can even come shop there. If they own a restaurant or know someone who owns a restaurant and they need microgreens…consider purchasing from us. They’re grown to order…from what we’ve heard from the chefs, they’re just tops, in terms of our microgreens compared to some of the others available. They can, of course, donate directly to help fund the Campus of Life, to help fund the programs. They can also donate things that our programs have on their wish list. It might be a set of drums, it might be a camera, it might be iPads, something for the schools…Amazon. If you shop on Amazon, use Amazon Smile and make TERI your charity of choice. We have a planned giving website, so people that have wills or want to have tax breaks on certain things…there’s all kinds of opportunities to donate financially through planned giving.
If someone is wanting to give back with their life in general but just doesn’t know where to start, what advice do you have?
Greg: What are they passionate about? What floats their boat? If it’s art, if it’s music, if it’s cleanliness – it doesn’t matter. They can take that into the community and put it to use.
What does it mean to be a visionary?
Greg: I think, in general, a visionary is someone who sees well outside of themselves.
Teri: I think, to be a visionary, you’ve got to step outside the status quo. You’ve got to be able to look differently at the world, and see beyond what’s here and now. That’s what a visionary is. They see something better than what’s already here and already happening.
I think that’s pretty much what Cheryl, [our founder], did. She saw the status quo, the institutional situation for many of these kids, and said, “Oh, there’s got to be something better.” And she actually created it, and I think [that] it’s way beyond what anybody ever anticipated. When I talk to people about it, they’re just amazed at all the different things that we offer.
As you can see, TERI has a LOT going on already, and more on the horizon. If you have resources to share, a passion to help, or know of someone who can benefit from what they offer, please visit their website, https://www.teriinc.org, and be sure to share this article with others!
If you like the images accompanying this story and would like to explore how visual storytelling could help your organization share the heart of its mission, please visit my website, www.soulvoyagerstudios.com, where I offer Immersive Photo Story Packages and well as other services. To receive each blog post in your inbox when it is posted, as well as regular content regarding visual storytelling and inspiring ways to make a difference in this world, subscribe to my newsletter below!
