By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
On June 22, The Haven at Skanda will welcome visitors to the farm for its second annual Family Fun Day from 1 to 5 p.m. at 4000 Mosley Rd., Cazenovia.
Visitors will have the chance to support and interact with Skanda’s rescued and endangered animals, including the farm’s goats, mini-donkeys, ducks, chickens, pig and horses.
The event will also feature a raffle, hayrides, face painting, games, art projects and live music by Flashback — a family-friendly local band that will be playing music from the ‘60s and ‘70s.
All proceeds will support The Haven at Skanda’s work with rescued animals.
Tickets for the event are $15 for families and $10 for individuals. Tickets can be purchased at cnytix.com.
This year, the “Summer at Skanda” children’s program will run from July 1 through Aug. 30.
According to Executive Director Ellen Beckerman, LMSW, throughout most of the summer, the program will serve children struggling with behavioral and emotional challenges and in need of extra support.
“Our goal is to provide these kids with a supportive, nurturing experience with the animals, and to give them mindfulness, peaceful conflict resolution and leadership skills that they can use throughout the year to better navigate stressful situations and challenges,” said Beckerman.
Daily activities include animal feeding and grooming, organic gardening, nature walks, art projects, recreational games and bonding time with the animals.
The program is free for families that qualify for their school’s free/reduced meal program. The subsidized program is funded in part by the Madison County Youth Bureau.
Summer at Skanda is run by a group of individuals with decades of experience supporting at-risk youth and families.
The team includes Beckerman; Board President Marion Secor, RN, BSN, MPSHC; and Jody Thomas, MS Ed., special education teacher at Waterville Elementary School. Jennifer Kilpatrick, LMSW — a social worker at OCM Boces — provides curriculum consultation.
Founded in 2015, The Haven at Skanda is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for rescued horses and farm animals and endangered breeds.
Skanda works in partnership with ASPCA’s Field Investigations and Response team, which conducts large-scale rescues across the country. Once the animals have been rescued, the ASPCA works with organizations like Skanda to place the animals. Skanda also partners with local rescue organizations and occasionally with private citizens.
“If the animals are safe and appropriate for adoption, we [also] find adoptive homes for them,” Beckerman said.
Skanda currently has about 15 active volunteers.
According to Beckerman, the organization is always looking for more volunteers, especially those willing to help with the animals’ weekday meals.
To learn more about The Haven at Skanda or to make a donation, visit thehavenatskanda.org. To volunteer, call 315-815-5056 or email [email protected].
