When you sign up for Water Street’s Loyalty Rewards, you earn three reward points for every dollar you spend at any of our café locations. These points can be redeemed for discounts OR you can choose to donate a portion directly to our Featured Non-Profit. From October through December 2024, our Featured Non-Profit is the Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center.

Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center has a mission to enhance the lives of individuals who have special needs through equine assisted services while leading the industry in education. The Cheff Center opened in 1969 and was the first therapeutic riding center built specifically for the purpose of serving those with special needs. Today, Cheff Specializes in Therapeutic Riding, Hippotherapy, and Equine Assisted Learning. At the Cheff Center, the clients are as unique as the services provided. Special needs transcend the boundaries of race, culture, religion, and socioeconomic status. Challenges caused by accidents, strokes, cancers, birth defects, autism, depression, and other health conditions can crop up in any social circle. 

Community volunteers are at the Cheff Center Monday through Friday year-round for clients to run, walk and roll their way through the doors, eager to meet “their” horse to go for a ride. These individuals currently range in age from 3 to 84 and all face physical, emotional, or cognitive challenges in their daily lives. So far in 2024, Cheff Center has positively impacted the lives of over 419 individuals with special needs with the support of 140+ community volunteers. These individuals seeking assistance with the Cheff Center come from all over Southwest Michigan, with approximately 50% of clients and volunteers residing right here in Kalamazoo County. 

Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center also caters to industry professionals (special education teachers, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, riding instructors, etc) from all over the world. They also do a great deal of work with local college and high school students, offering not only therapy based and equestrian education opportunities, but also administrative and service-learning opportunities.

Water Street is proud to support the Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center and we hope that you can help us in this effort.

Supporting non-profits throughout Kalamazoo county

Water Street’s Loyalty Rewards Program began in 2018 and features a new non-profit each quarter. With the help of our customers, we've been able to give a total of $14,014 to non-profit organizations to help support the important work they do in our community.