PITTSFIELD, IL — The Pike County Health and Welfare Foundation recently awarded Griggsville-Perry CUSD 4 a $1,600 immediate response grant to accelerate the acquisition of therapy dogs for use in elementary and middle schools. The grant money will be used to pay for the dog training required for certification.
“Griggsville Perry’s therapy dogs will serve as staff members and positively impact the well-being of our students on a daily basis,” Foundation Executive Director Patricia McIntosh said in a press release. Since the pandemic, two-thirds of U.S. schools have added mental health services due to increased need by students, according to federal data.
“In recent years, the Foundation has consciously focused on the mental and behavioral health needs of Pike County. We believe it has a significant positive impact on health and well-being.”
Therapy dogs have been proven to:
- Reduce learner anxiety and improve learning outcomes.
- Promote mental health, well-being, and effective intervention strategies within the school community.
- Help students develop social skills.
- Recommit to on-site learning. And understand boundaries.
“Animals are generally expensive, and funding is required to meet their needs. Therapy dogs provide emotional support to those they come into contact with,” said Michelle Gates, a kindergarten through eighth grade school counselor in the GP School District. They can also encourage reading and writing, model appropriate behavior, and calm students and staff.
“I personally saw the success of therapy dogs in a local school this school year when three local students passed away prematurely. Therapy dogs are service dogs and are meant to work, so this new dog will be active in nursing homes, hospitals, summer camps and any other opportunity this summer.”
The Pike County Health and Wellness Foundation is in its 20th year of funding initiatives that positively impact Pike County’s most pressing physical, mental and social health needs. During this period the company received more than $1.5 million in grants. Grant decisions are made by the Board of Directors. Current board members are Judge Michael Rosebery; J. Michael Kinsharff, Vice Chairman; Darla Lemons, secretary/treasurer; and directors Michelle Westbrook, Andrea Allen, and Pike County Deputy Zachary Orr.
HWFPC is a 501(c)(3) public charity exclusively serving the medical needs of Pike County, Illinois. Donations to HWFPC are fully tax deductible as allowed by law. For more information about HWFPC or to make a financial donation, please visit the foundation’s website at www.hwfpc.org.
