Homegrown Hero of the Year

The head of one of Foodshare’s partner programs, Patricia Kelly, has been named a finalist for CNN’s Hero of the Year award. Kelly is the founder and director of Ebony Horsewomen which she began in 1984 as a complete equestrian and agricultural youth development organization that aims to “change the culture of inner-city and urban youth to Equestrians and Cowboys.” "When you teach a child to ride a horse,” Kelly says, “they learn they are the center of their environment. Once they make that connection, they can change what happens in school, at home and in the community."

The organization uses the inherent therapeutic power of horseback riding and caretaking along with academic support to empower youth, build leadership skills, and help them shape their own lives. Through a recent expansion, they have added an agricultural element – they house 10 additional different species of animals to help program participants learn even more through Comparative Animal Sciences.

Part of the program involves feeding the young people they serve, and Foodshare supplies that food. So we’re especially proud to see Pat nominated for this award, which comes with a cash prize. You can watch the official CNN spotlight video here, and you can vote for her until November 16 using this link.