Storr Office Environments awarded on June 2, 2014, an office makeover to CORRAL Riding Academy, a Cary, N.C., nonprofit organization that positively impacts at-risk girls through equine activities.
This award was the second of Storr’s $100,000 Office Makeover Giveaway, a campaign commemorating their 100th year of business. Storr will split the $100,000 budget between two Triangle-based nonprofits. By donating these workspace renovations, they sought to give back in a tangible way. “We wanted to do something that focused on the community that has made our success possible,” said Storr CEO Tom Vande Guchte. “We decided the best way to show our gratitude is to provide office makeovers to nonprofits that make the Triangle a better place.”
Storr set up a website (storr100.com) to take nominations and applications. “We had more than 100 applications,” said Bob Schanz, President of Storr. “There were so many qualified and well-deserving nonprofits that applied.”
The first award was presented to PLM Families Together on March 10. Their makeover is well underway, with completion expected by the end of summer. This event built positive momentum for Storr’s second surprise giveaway, presented to CORRAL Riding Academy on June 2 at noon.
Joy Currey, President and Founder of CORRAL, expressed the excitement that filled her office when Storr’s team arrived. “We saw the check and definitely had an extreme- home-makeover moment,” she said. “We have big plans for the future and this will enable us to grow in a significant way.”
Since 2008, CORRAL has provided a “leg up in life” for girls who have experienced neglect, abuse and other traumatic situations. The organization uses rescued horses as a vessel for change. Participants receive literary and scholastic intervention, vocational training, individual and group mental health services, equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) and mentorship. CORRAL’s unique structure allows girls to gain equine knowledge and skills while developing behaviors and attitudes that foster success in life beyond horses.
“The girls we serve are at risk for delinquency, teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol dependency, high school dropout or even suicide,” Currey explained. “They’ve had a tough go at life, but they have the potential for an amazing future.”
According to Currey, the current CORRAL office is tiny and unorganized with little privacy. She is delighted to know her team will soon have a workspace that is thoughtfully designed, giving them the physical and mental capacity required to serve more girls.
“We are in a huge growth phase and our facility is a definite bottleneck,” Currey said. “For us, this was an affirmation – the fact that Storr was willing to invest in our future gives us the courage we need to pursue our big goals.”
As the office makeovers begin to take shape, Storr is energized about further opportunities to invest in the community. “This has been an incredible experience for us,” Schanz said. “We look forward to honoring our roots and celebrating future success through charity.”