Today we’d like to introduce you to Pam Gaber.
Pam, please share your story with us.
Gabriel’s Angels are in part, named after our first therapy dog, Gabriel, a Weimaraner who is an advocate for abused children. The children we serve, our supporters, and our volunteers are our angels.
Gabriel’s Angels were born rather accidentally. I was a long-time volunteer at Crisis Nursery. At a Crisis Nursery’s Christmas party in 1999, I brought Gabriel with me. In the spirit of Christmas cheer – Gabriel willingly attended the party dressed as a reindeer.
Much to my and everyone’s surprise – Gabriel was a huge hit. Even during the brief time that Gabriel and I were at the party, there was a marked difference in the children’s behavior. They were compassionate and loving towards this gentle gray dog. There were no violent or angry tendencies typically seen in victims of violence. A few children, who were crying in their rooms not wanting to come to the party, finally came out and smiled and laughed at the visiting “reindeer”. Even the line to have their picture taken with Gabriel was longer than the one for pictures with Santa!
Members of the Nursery staff recognized the improvements and asked me to return with Gabriel again. This was when I realized the great value that pets and pet therapy can have on these neglected, abused and at-risk children. And Gabriel’s Angels was born!
The results with these first children were outstanding and exceeded expectations! Both the on-site caregivers and social workers quickly confirmed that the children who were visited by Gabriel were more empathetic and nurturing to one another other. There was a marked improvement in the way they began treating Gabriel. Core behaviors necessary to intervene in the cycle of violence, such as compassion, empathy, and trust were being developed due to this special relationship between children and animals!
We then knew that we could indeed make a difference, and we began a concerted effort to tell as many people as possible about our program. In response to overwhelming support and encouragement, Gabriel’s Angels were formally organized and received its 501(c)(3) tax exempt status on May 1, 2000. Today Gabriel’s Angels have 185 Therapy Teams visiting 15,000 at-risk children annually. These children are in domestic violence and homeless shelters, crisis nurseries, group homes, after school programs and Title One schools.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Starting a nonprofit from scratch has been an amazing, incredible and sometimes exhausting journey. Nonprofits, like all startup businesses, have an incredibly high failure rate. It has taken persistence and grit to move from the Start Up Phase to the Maturity Phase of this organization. I have made many mistakes on this journey but I was not afraid to make them move the mission forward. I think many young women are afraid to make mistakes or fail at something that in reality, it is the only way we learn. When you meet a very wise woman ask them how they got to be so wise they will tell you they were not afraid to make mistakes and more importantly to learn from them. It is the school called “Life”. In my office, I have a plaque with a quote from Winston Churchill that says, “never, never, never give up”. By focusing on the children’s lives, we change I can get through any challenge or obstacle before me.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Gabriel’s Angels story. Tell us more about the business.
Gabriel’s Angels is the only provider of pet therapy to at-risk children in Arizona. We train our volunteers to do activities with at-risk children to bring them in close contact with the therapy dog and that is when the magic begins. Behaviors such as trust, compassion, empathy, self-regulation, and affiliation are behaviors all children need. At-risk children frequently have not been taught these behaviors.
We have three types of therapy visits. Group Therapy is for 10-12 children who need behavioral development overall. Individual Intervention is for the most traumatized individuals who meet one-on-one with the therapy dog, owner, and the child’s therapist. This is true Animal Assisted Therapy as the dog is written into the treatment plan for the child. Our third program is named Animals, Books, and Children (ABC). In this program, a child in a Title One school reads to the therapy dog weekly. This increased literacy scores as well as develop critical core behaviors in the child.
We are proud to be the premier provider of pet therapy to at-risk children in Arizona.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
Don’t be afraid to fail as it is the only way to learn. When you do fail at something, take an inventory of what went wrong and then commit to making the situation better. Apologize and own it. People will respect you for acknowledging the mistake and taking personal responsibility. Don’t be a blamer. Note what you would not do next time. Then, get over it and move ahead.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.GabrielAngels.org
- Phone: 602-266-0875
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/gabrielsangels
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/gabrielsangels
- Twitter: @GabrielsAngels
- Other: @TherapyDog Gabe
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