By Keren Copperman
Special to the Houlton Pioneer Times
While Houlton may be a small town, it is no secret that it is full of people doing great things. It is not just the people of Aroostook County that are full of good; the town is home to some extraordinary animals, as well.
Darlene Kenney from Linneus is a familiar face at the Gardiner Health Care Facility, and the residents look forward to her visits each week. It is Kenney’s companions, however, that are most anticipated by the residents. Twice a week, she is accompanied to the nursing home by one of her two sidekicks: Emma the American Staffordshire Terrier mix or JoJo the American Bulldog mix.
Emma and JoJo are both therapy dogs through the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Silent Sidekicks. The first nonprofit, small-animal-assisted therapy organization in Maine, Silent Sidekicks provides animal-assisted therapy, activities, and educational programs to clients in need throughout the state along with the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Darlene, Emma, and JoJo are two of thirty-five handler-animal teams – called “Sidekick Teams,” and this number is constantly growing.
Kenney, who also serves as Board Secretary and Director of Online Communications for the Ark Animal Shelter, came across Silent Sidekicks when the organization was still very young in January 2013. Founder and Executive Director Danielle Ireland McGuckin had messaged the Ark to inquire about sharing the then newly formed nonprofit organization, and Kenney happened to be the one to see it when it reached the Ark’s inbox. It was nothing short of fate – she had long desired to become involved with an animal-assisted therapy organization, yet was unaware that there was one operating right in her backyard.
Kenney recalls that within minutes of meeting McGuckin and her therapy dog Morgan, she knew that she wanted to become a part of Silent Sidekicks. Today, she is a regular visitor to the Gardiner Health Care Facility on Mondays or Tuesdays with JoJo and Fridays with Emma. She says that Administrator Amy Hocking and the nursing home staff have made her feel like a welcome part of the Gardiner family, and the residents make their appreciation well known to her. One of her most memorable moments was having Emma asked to attend the 100th birthday party of one of the residents – which she gladly attended, of course.
Along with the visiting program at Gardiner Health Care Facility, Silent Sidekicks has held programs at several other locations in Aroostook County. These programs are all free-of-charge, and are funded entirely through the generosity of public donations, grant monies, and fund-raising events. Silent Sidekicks is always looking for new volunteers at many locations in Maine, with or without animals! To inquire about volunteer opportunities in your area, or about bringing a sidekick team to your facility, please e-mail info@silentsidekicks.org or visit http://silentsidekicks.org. People can keep up with the many adventures of Emma and JoJo the therapy dogs by visiting http://facebook.com/emmathesidekick and http://facebook.com/jojothesidekick, in Houlton and beyond!
Keren Copperman is a fourth-year student at the University of Maine where she is pursuing a degree in social work with a minor in psychology. She is also an intern for the Silent Sidekicks organization.
