Southern Indiana ’ s generational businesses give back By Jen Selinsky
Great businesses are not merely born . They are made .
Through all the dedication and hard work of the proprietors and employees , businesses establish roots in their communities and continue to grow . Many operations have been in business for several years and have a good standing within the community . Their charitable works and means of giving back to their communities are also things to celebrate .
Located in Water Tower Square in Jeffersonville , Orange Clover Kitchen and More serves up delicious food Mondays through Fridays from 7:30 a . m . to 2:30 p . m . Its menu offers a variety of drinks , breakfast foods , soups , salads and sandwiches .
Owner Rachel Smallwood is proud of how far her business has come since they first opened their doors .
“ We ’ ll be celebrating our tenth anniversary in the main room on October 22nd . When I took over the space , we did a lot of renovations to the kitchen . My brother is Ian Hall , who owns The Exchange Pub + Kitchen and Brooklyn and the Butcher . I worked for him before I started my own business .”
The restaurant is divided into two sections . The Copper Room is a later addition , which is used for overflow seating . People can make reservations to be seated in that section during regular business hours .
The Orange Clover is a place where people can be themselves without being judged . The staff is friendly and the customers are happy with the service they receive . Because of that , everyone feels welcome , and the restaurant has a secure place within the community .
“ We have students from high school and middle school from the Trailblazer Program ,” Smallwood said . “ Inclusivity and community are important to us . We also do a lot with the youth shelter . We do a lot of fundraisers , some of which the money is matched by other companies . We are happy to help anyone who needs assistance .”
As far as the name is concerned , the clover is symbolic of good luck and the orange represents happiness and tranquility .
The Orange Clover is very busy during lunch , and in addition they do a lot of catering . They even have their own twist on blue-plate special meals , orange-plate discounted meals , which they make using excess supplies of food . For those who would like to learn more about , or contact , Orange Clover , you can call them at : ( 812 ) 282-1005 or visit their website : orangecloverjeffersonville . com .
It ’ s not just local restaurants that give back in Southern Indiana .
Located just off Charlestown Pike in Jeffersonville is Opening Gates , Inc . an equine-assisted counseling facility , where those seeking therapy can interact with rescue horses .
Shara Wisenauer is the owner of the non-profit organization , as well as a licensed therapist . Since 2007 , Opening Gates has been offering horse therapy sessions for guests .
For many of their programs , Wisenauer pairs each client with a horse , and she assigns the clients certain tasks which do not involve any physical contact with the animal .
“ We serve about sixty kids in the program ,” she said . “ We teach them about the responsibilities of caring for a horse , not just riding one ,”
Wisenauer also stated her preference for working with a group of people rather than doing one-on-one programs .
“ I prefer to work in groups of people because I feel I can reach more of them that way , ” she said .
There are several animals who live on the farm , including Tarzan the cat , who loves to greet visitors .
Wisenauer also mentioned the names of some of their horses they use in their therapy programs .
“ Dolly and Brandy are two of the first horses we purchased for the therapy program ,” she said . “ Dolly was a rescue who was abused , and she used to be shy around people .”
Some of the horses have Equine Cushing ’ s Disease , which is a hormone condition caused by a faulty pituitary gland . Because of that , the horses can eat extra starch and sugar but no green grass .
“ Their diet is very strict ,” she said . “ Horses are like people in that some like to exercise and some don ’ t . You have to know your horse so you can properly take care of their dietary and physical needs .”
Though Opening Gates , Inc . only got started in 2007 , Wisenauer ’ s family has owned the land for over 100 years .
“ Mom had a dog grooming business for over thirty years , Wilson ’ s Dog Grooming , as well as an outfitter store , Wilson ’ s Western Wear Attire ,” Wisenauer said .
Their other current business , Hunter ’ s Farm , does generate some profit .
They receive a lot of money from local business funding and donations . Individuals may also contribute donations via check , credit card , or PayPal .
“ Winter can be tough due to the weather , but fundraisers help all our organizations ,” Wisenauer said . “ I love
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