As they entered The Gentle Barn facility to participate in their violence prevention program, you could have heard a pin drop. Eight twelve-year-old boys, who were taken out of their abusive homes and are now living as wards of the court at a residential facility, came out of the concrete grey of the inner-city to The Gentle Barn to meet animals in a new light.
“We have a lot of animals who act out because of their abuse and anger.” said Ellie Laks, Founder and Educational Outreach Director. “We are able to use the animals and their stories to mirror the boys’. We have a horse, “Whisper,” who was extremely abused and misunderstood. When she gets scared she thinks she needs to fight for her survival. It is our job to show her that she is safe now and is heard. She gets to show us her anger and let it out safely, and every time she does, she gets sweeter and softer. We used her story to get the boys talking about how it feels to be unheard and misunderstood.”
The boys talked about how it feels to be angry inside and want to hurt another. Ellie talked about how much Whisper is understood and not blamed for her “acting out.” She told the boys that she didn’t think Whisper was bad, she’s just angry and needs to express it. This helped the boys understand that they are not bad or mean and that they can also let it go.
At the end of the group, Ellie asked each child what they learned that they did not know before. They said that they learned to be gentle, that animals are just like them and they want to protect them, and that it is so important to listen to others language and feelings.
The Gentle Barn Foundation is a non-profit organization that teaches people kindness and compassion to animals, each other and the planet. They do this by bringing people together with their 60 rescued farm animals and are supported by donations and sponsorship of groups. Through the interaction with the animals, The Gentle Barn teaches people tolerance, courage, strength, trust, leadership skills and empathy. Their violence prevention program is host to boy’s homes, foster homes, inner-city youth, mental health care facilities, hospitals, scout troops and local schools.
The Gentle Barn is open every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. during which time you can visit their 60 rescued animals. The Barn is located at 15825 Sierra Highway, Santa Clarita. In case of inclement weather, please call to make sure we are open.
For more information, please call 661-252-2440 or visit them on line at www.gentlebarn.org.