Join the ICS Team from 6-9pm on Saturday May 19th for great food, a live auction and special music from “Joe Coe and The Boys”.   This is a great opportunity to meet members of the ICS Team and find out more about the ICS program and philosophy and have some FUN!

On Sunday, May 20th, Michael McMeel, the ICS Volunteers and Wranglers will be hosting some very special kids from the Kingswood School located in Bean Station Tennessee. Kingswood is a non-profit coed residential group care home for children and youth between ages 5 and 18. It provides to displaced children a Christian home-like environment where every effort is made to develop in each child a personal faith in God, in himself, and in his fellowman.  Needy, displaced, troubled and abandoned children come to Kingswood and find shelter and Kingswood is committed to providing for the basic needs of each child, while fostering personal and spiritual growth.

We hope you’ll join us in Tennessee for a weekend that can only be described as….life-changing!

The image itself was taken in Missouri in November of 2011 and on this day, we were working with a remarkable group of kids from an outreach program from the inner city of St Louis.   As usual, Michael starts each day with introductions and a brief explanation about what the kids will be doing during the day and then….he brings out a horse.

It is important to remember that  most of the kids we work with have never seen or been around a real, living, breathing horse and that was exactly the case with these kids.    They were listening intently to what Michael was saying but at the same time, you could see they were keeping a close eye on the horse.   You could see a mixture of excitement and fear on their faces.

One of the amazing young ladies we worked with was 8 year old Quinn.  Quinn was very shy and quiet and it was obvious she was nervous about getting close enough to pet “Jake”, our uniquely spotted and somewhat intimidating horse.    Michael, who is always incredibly intuitive and in-sync with each and every child we work with,  stood right by her side and slowly and gently encouraged her to approach “Jake”,  reach out and touch this soft, beautiful animal.   Quinn was still fairly anxious about getting close to such a big animal, but when Michael put his hand right next to hers…she did it!    The smile on her face was priceless….and magical!    With that very first touch, Quinn discovered she could conquer her fears and at the same time, she learned about building Trust, Confidence and Hope….and you could see the sense of accomplishment on her face.

The “First Touch” is one of my favorite parts of our ICS program and I think this photograph accurately captures the true essence of what ICS is all about...using the magic of horses to make a difference in the life of a child.

As for Quinn, she and the rest of the kids spent the rest of the day approaching things like riding horses bareback, conquering “The Rattler” and tackling “The Fall of Faith” with Confidence, Smiles and HOPE….and it all began with this, the “First Touch”. -Cindy

 Question:

Just back from a very successful ICS event in Bell City, Louisiana, Michael & his crew of wranglers and volunteers will be in New Tazewell for a fun-filled week of music, laughter and  working with some incredible children from the Kingswood School, located in Bean Station TN.   Michael has already been actively involved in working with the children from Kingswood and is ecstatic that these children will be spending the day at his ranch, participating in what is sure to be a fantastic ICS Event!

Join us on Friday evening, May 18th at Michael’s ranch for the Western Soiree’ which runs from 7-10pm.    Musical guests are “Joe Coe & The Boys” ( incidentally, our very own Michael McMeel is ‘one of the boys’, so you’ll see him in action on the drums!).    Enjoy some great food, and meet some great individuals from all over the US, local dignitaries and learn more about ICS and how this program is changing the lives of children (and adults!) everywhere.    ICS Representatives from across the US will be in attendance to talk about how ICS is impacting their communities and the children they serve.   It will be an awe-inspiring night!

On Saturday, Michael and the wranglers and volunteers will be working with some very special children and THIS is a life-changing event for children and adults alike.   You’ll witness the moment a child touches a horse for the first time, sits quietly on a horse bareback and feels how the horse breathes and you’ll hear an abundance of laughter & delight as these children ride the mechanical bull, climb a wall of hay and just relax, overcome their fears and learn what it’s like to relax and enjoy the things in front of them.

See you in Tennessee!

Inner City Slickers and Michael McMeel are BACK in Bell City,  Louisiana the weekend of March 23 and 24th, 2012!

We had such a great time and worked with so many amazing children the last time we were in Bell City, we can’t wait to be back!  You’re all invited to join the fun at the ICS Grand Opening Party on March 23rd from 7-10 PM at the Iowa Community Center located at 207 W Hwy 90 in Iowa, Louisiana.    Meet Michael, enjoy some great food, meet some new friends and learn more about ICS in Bell City!

On Saturday, Michael, Rene’ and out special Wranglers & Volunteers from Bell City (and surrounding areas) will work with a variety of children from the local community on overcoming fear, building trust, self-confidence and HOPE.   Join us in Bell City and discover how YOU can make a difference in the life of a child….and change yours in the process.

Also….the NBC Affiliate KPLC did an outstanding story on Rene’ and ICS several months ago,  and we hope you’ll check it out below!

I caught a glimpse of the 4 trucks with trailers, drive up through the trees and park outside, right in front of the indoor arena. It was an over cast day, cold and a bit windy. A good day to be inside.

Big Red was tentatively lead out with the others, walked into the arena with his head down and his eyes fixated on the soft sand below him and there he stood…. alone.  The others were a bit more secure and entered the arena and started to investigate the area. Red went to the side farthest away from everyone , over by himself without ever looking up.

He looked like he had been through a war. I was told that the folks who had him before were just plain mean and never really fooled with him at all. He was left alone alot. I noticed that his shoulder seemed a bit sore and he had a  slight twitch. His brown eyes were a bit glazed over and he was blinking quite alot. I thought to myself, “This is going to be tough.”

My movements toward him were slow and deliberate. I made sure I didnt move to quickly, he might just run from that. As I made my way over to him, I didn’t say a word. Not making eye contact, I slowly walked up to introduce myself, but he turned and moved away rather quickly towards the safety of the arena  wall.

“What do I do to make him more comfortable”, I said to myself.. He’s not  like the others. I could tell he was afraid, not trusting not knowing what to expect from me. Honestly I didn’t know what to expect from him. After watching him for awhile, I thought it best to let him have his space.

I started working with the others keeping a close eye on him. I was reading his body language, which sometimes that’s all you have: closed down, don’t trust, abandoned, I’ve been hurt – just stay away. That is what Red was telling me in the silence.

As I took the group through a series of exercises I noticed Red seemed a little more at ease; In fact he came over to watch what we were doing. He stayed in the back, but he did come over. There was a change. He trusted enough by being in the group to look at me. I was able to make some eye contact with him and since he saw I didn’t hurt the others, maybe it would  be ok for him to get involved. Patience, I just have to be patient.

I occasionally looked his way and sometimes I would smile when and if it felt right. He on the other hand would look right past me, but his eyes smiled, another Change. “Keep Looking for the signs” I thought to myself.

We finally got close to each other in the group and he started to gravitate  towards me. I was able to reach out and touch his head as if to say, It’s all right. He responded with a sigh…another Change.

The rest of the day seemd like only minutes had past. This brave young heart was now participating and was trusting again. He wanted to be involved. He thrived on the achnowledgment that he was “ok” and that everything was going to be ok.

He was trusting for the first time in a long time; he started moving with  confidence. His spirit was coming back. We had touched each other’s hearts and we were both better for it.

As they were heading out the arena door to make the long jounrey home, I walked right up to Big Red, looked him straight in the eyes and told him he had changed my life today. With tears in his eyes we shook hands and we left as friends. I still hear from Red, from time to time and I often think how our paths crossed that day and how we changed each others  life.

MM

“I’ve been holding ICS events at my own facilities in California and in Tennessee for 20+ years and it’s always great doing this in my own community. Lately ICS has been enjoying significant expansion so I’ve been extremely busy getting new locations up and running and visiting our existing locations throughout the US. I’m excited to be home for a bit in May and kick off our 2012 ICS – Tennessee program and I have to say this is going to be an incredible event! We’re planning a “Western Soiree’” on May 18th and there just might be a bit of music involved in that.” he chuckled.   “We’re going to spend the next two days working with some amazing & deserving kids. I’m also very excited that many of our ICS Teams from across the US are planning on joining us in Tennessee that weekend. It’s going to be a huge family reunion AND we get to help some great kids…it just doesn’t get any better than that!” McMeel continued.

For additional information on joining the FUN in Tennessee OR to find out more about bringing ICS to your area, please contact us!

Inner City Slickers kicks off in Bell City,  Louisiana this weekend (Jan 21-22) and we are BEYOND excited!   

Rene’ Mudd, our ICS Representative in Bell City has done an incredible job coordinating this event….we are so lucky to have Rene’ on our ICS Team.   We would like to say a special “Thank You” to Rene’ and her ICS Team which includes Peggy-Sue & Matt McCloskey (ICS Team in St Louis, MO), Pam Markovitz (ICS Team – Venice, CA), Jennifer Broome (ICS – New Orleans, LA) and all the wranglers, volunteers and sponsors who have contributed to this amazing event!

Pictures and updates from Louisiana will be be posted as soon as possible.    In the meantime, NBC Affiliate KPLC did an outstanding story on Rene’ and her ICS program and you can check it out below.

As Rene’ would say, “WE’RE  ALL JACKED UP” and we look forward to making a difference in the lives of the kids, and adults in Bell City!

We are so excited to WELCOME you to the official launch of our new website!

It goes without saying that a great deal of time and effort has gone into this site and while there are several areas that are still being worked on and updated, a majority of the content is here and we hope you find it useful, informative and exciting!

Websites in general are a work-in-progress and our website is no exception.   We have some great new features and additional resources that we will be adding  in 2012 such as Podcasts, Internet TV, an online General Store and so much more.     These resources will provide us with additional opportunities and the funds to expand and enhance our presence and further impact the lives of the children we work with.

We hope you’ll check in with us frequently to see what’s new, learn more about the children we serve and find out how you can get involved and make a difference in the life of a child.   And change your life in the process.

Michael

When I hugged Cynthia tonight, I wondered if she had any idea that I have thought about her and wondered how she was doing, every single day since October? I teared up every time she hugged me tonight and they were good tears. She didn’t know how her amazing smile, brightened MY spirit today. I’m delighted to say that Cynthia and I will be spending lots more time together in the future…if you share the same name, it’s mandatory!

And then there was Alexis who in a quiet moment she and I had together in October told me she liked working with clay but didn’t have access to any. I remembered that she didn’t smile a lot that day but I was a stranger to her so I understood that. I made sure she got clay…to me that was a simple request and an artist needs what they need after all! Tonight…she brought a clay project she’d made in the third grade to show me and she thanked me for giving her clay…and she smiled, a lot. She reminded me that anything we do, makes a difference…even something as the simple act of supplying clay. I loved seeing her smile, laughing and having a good time…

Since our October event, Audrey’s been volunteering at our barn and my family and I have had the opportunity to spend more and more time with her the past few weeks. Audrey is exceptional in so many ways and I’m not sure she knows that yet….but she’s learning. She has seen more and experienced more than most of us can imagine but she smiles and puts one foot in front of the other and keeps moving forward. I remember thinking Audrey was tenacious and fearless when I first met her in October and she is….but she’s also courageous, warm and loving. I hope she truly gets that.

I met Hillary for the first time tonight and she is soft spoken, eloquent, beautiful eyes, polite and a passion for horses. She told me she is volunteering at a riding facility but they won’t let her ride and she really wants a career with horses. In fact, she’s already looked into where she wants to go to college to do that. She doesn’t want a million dollars, a new car or anything else…she just wants to ride. So Guess WHAT? Hillary’s going to ride with ME. Sometimes you just need someone to believe in you and your dream and I’m going to be that someone for Hillary. She deserves having someone in her corner, fighting & caring for her & her dreams. That’ll be me from here on out.

I told Michael tonight was the best Christmas present EVER and I mean that. Seeing the girls again was AWESOME in itself but seeing them laughing and happy and having HOPE was almost indescribable. This what ICS does…it gives HOPE and builds TRUST and how amazing is it that we can all be a part of that? When you change the life of a child, you change too. Tonight I got to see some of the benefits of the work we do thru ICS. It’s an amazing thing we’re all a part of…and so many mazing things are to come!