123,000 Smiles . . . and Counting
Who doesn’t love a smiling alpaca? Or a playful goat? Or a gnarly tortoise? Or a quacking duck?
While enjoying the antics of these gentle creatures, it’s impossible not to smile. And the mission of Animal Assisted Happiness (AAH) is just that simple – to bring smiles, joy, and happiness to all children, especially those with special needs. AAH's vision is to achieve “a million smiles.”
The Animal Assisted Happiness headquarters is located on a 2 ½ acre farm at Baylands Park in Sunnyvale, California. Mini-horses and donkeys, chickens, rabbits, ducks, tortoises, pot- bellied pigs, guinea pigs, goats, sheep, alpacas, doves – all creatures great and small – reside in this special enclave. The animals are selected for their gentle dispositions and docile personalities. They are tended by scores of volunteers who welcome visitors and introduce them to their new animal friends.
AAH offers 3 types of service, depending on client needs and abilities. First, the Baylands Park “Smile Farm” provides in-person visits where children are free to tour the farm and interact with the animals. For those who can’t get to the farm, mobile visits, where animals are brought to the clients’ site in a special van, can be arranged. And to expressly address special needs kids’ issues, the vocational education program teaches children life skills such as listening, following instructions, organization, and responsibility through the practice of basic animal care.
For organizations that serve special-needs youth, customized vocational programs can be tailored. The programs described above are available for “donation” fees that help cover the costs of animal care, farm maintenance, transport, and volunteer training. However, the farm is always open at no charge to families with special needs kids.
The impact is measurable: to date, AAH has hosted 4,948 visits serving 123,355 smiling kids.
Farrington was pleased to help AAH continue this wonderful work via a grant that funded 15 hands-on vocational training classes at partner Santa Clara County schools for youth with down syndrome and autism .