CMP_VeriOddfellow

** Member Profile: Veri Oddfellow of Great Strides **



26771 Howard Chapel Dr. Damascus, MD 20872
 * Real Name/SL Name: ** **Brad Lewis/Veri Oddfellow**
 * Organization: ** [|Great Strides]

**Position:** Chairman of the Board

**Is your work here in Second Life as an individual or are you representing a foundation?** I am in-world representing Great Strides, a nonprofit mental health agency located in Damascus, Maryland, USA.

**Brief Summary of your organization:** Our mission is to promote emotional healing and growth in partnership with horses. Great Strides offers equine facilitated psychotherapy, therapeutic horsemanship and equine facilitated learning. Through specially designed interactive experiences that promote emotional healing, we build confidence, improve social skills, and help clients make positive changes in their lives. Our farm environment provides a unique setting enabling clients to address treatment issues on many different experiential levels that they might not ordinarily access in a therapist's office.

**How did you find out about NPC and why did you get involved?** In Kenzo introduced me to the NPC and I was immediately intrigued. The possibilities for nonprofits to raise friends, funds and awareness are multiplied greatly by the networking opportunities offered. In our first year we have seen some small successes in fundraising, but some greater benefits in terms of supporters, connections to others with similar missions and a great deal of camaraderie that comes with a community of purpose and other pathfinders.

**Some say the professional networking opportunities in SL have been extraordinary. Have you found this to be true? If so, what advice would you give someone for effective networking in SL?** I would say the networking is very good, however, much like any setting, you have to work at it. The primary cost to get connected in-world is time, however, and that is in short supply in many nonprofits. I would advise that new nonprofits attend the weekly NPC meetings and start with low expectations. once comfortable inworld, then it would be time to stretch out, learn more about the possibilities and begin to dip a toe in the water of being more active. Start small and build in successes, much like in the physical world.

**Why do you think virtual worlds such as Second Life are valuable for nonprofits?** Bottom line, this 3-D world interface is the future of the web, therefore, at some point we will all do business in this environment, and it behooves us all to learn how to negotiate this environment.

**Do you think every nonprofit should have a presence within SL or is it only appropriate for particular types of organizations?** Nonprofits who can benefit from a distributed network, whose mission or activity lean heavily towards education of others, or who have time and willingness to learn the ropes in an environment with a fairly steep learning curve will benefit in the long run. It is clear that there are some nonprofits with 'household names' who have benefited greatly.

**More than likely you are fairly new to SL. Since there is a learning curve, what advice would you give to make being in SL easier?** Make friends, find a mentor, explore widely but humbly. I've had an avatar since 2005, but have only been active since 2007 and it's largely because I didn't see the point. With a nonprofit in-world and friends and funds and awareness to raise, it began to make more sense.

**Upcoming projects/events?** We are looking forward to the Grand Opening of the Nonprofit Commons 2/Aloft Island, of course, and the unveiling of our carriage-driven horse tours of the island. Following that will be our annual ride-a-thon to benefit horse care at Great Strides both in-world and at our RL farm.

**Current/On-going needs (RL or SL)?** We always welcome volunteers, donors and others in the fields of mental health, personal development, equine care and partnership and nonprofits.

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