"We cannot thank everyone at Carousel Ranch enough! Even though the ranch is shut down and Aaron is struggling with not being able to ride, thankfully he is also part of the Ready To Work program! At the beginning of this pandemic situation I think all parents probably threw their hands up like “what now?” “How do I homeschool my kids, work from home, and not completely lose it???” I was definitely that mom! Aaron has two younger brothers and not only do they have school, but Aaron also goes to school. All of that changed rather swiftly just like it did for everyone else.

At first Aaron handled it with a lot of difficulty. Suddenly we were home together all the time and trying to keep him and his brothers learning, entertained, and staying positive. It was incredibly difficult. Fortunately, both Carousel Ranch programs came up with a way to keep Aaron engaged! He was all smiles when he received an emailed from Miss Stefanie with a picture of his horse, BB! He also loved watching Katie and Cricket read together online! We started getting emails and assignments through Google Classroom for the Ready To Work program and it really made a huge difference in Aaron’s attitude! When Camryn called Aaron, he was so excited to hear from her. On that first call Aaron and Camryn came up with a plan for Aaron to learn to cook and bake! It’s been fantastic! He’s in the kitchen with me at least one meal a day where he is participating! Today we baked chocolate chip cookies from scratch!

All around Carousel Ranch have made a really positive impact on Aaron. He was kind of depressed and angry, but now he's a little more on track! We miss the ranch so much, but we know we will be back soon, and we are so grateful that Carousel Ranch took the time to take care of us!" -Becky O'Dwyer