12/30/2025
To our HOHS treasured supporters:
As 2025 draws to a close, our horses are healthy and able to help humans heal because of your support. At Heart of Horse Sense, we know that the horse/human connection is powerful and that it uniquely empowers us to heal trauma in an evidence-based manner. In addition to keeping the lights on and the horses fed, your support makes it possible for our clients to work with highly skilled therapists and horse professionals trained in the use of a variety of psychotherapy modalities, and in the provision of equine-assisted psychotherapy.
These last five years have proven especially challenging. First, Covid. Enough said. Second, Helene. One year and 3 months post-Helene, we are only now in the initial phase of navigating the human trauma that the storm left in its wake. Third, the current economic and political climate. Presently, we find ourselves forced to navigate barriers to grant funding that we've never before experienced; most of all, with respect to the funding of our veterans' programs.
Our grant efforts provide half of our funding, and the other half is comprised of development initiatives and in large part, donations and business sponsorships. Over the past two years, we have been intentional in the expansion of our outreach in the community, the diversification of our revenue streams, the expansion of earned income opportunities, and the deepening of relations with our community partners. We know these are important and productive endeavors, and we will sustain these efforts in 2026 and beyond.
At year's end or in the early new year, we ask that you support our mission: to help folks who are healing from trauma. Here are some ways you can plug in:
Make a one-time or monthly recurring donation or increase your current or prior donation level
-Sponsor a therapy horse ($600 for 6 months or $1200 for one year)
-Sign up to receive our e-newsletter
-Purchase our branded coffee and other merchandise
-Raffle our unique coffee raffle baskets at your business & donate the proceeds to us
-Sign up for our free volunteer training
-Share grant opportunities with us
-Donate art for sale at our art nook at Mars Landing Galleries
-Let us know of groups who might enjoy a presentation by our Executive Director, Shannon Knapp
-Let us know of free spaces suitable for a public speaking engagement
-Purchase items from our Amazon Wish List
-Sponsor our second annual First Responder Mental Health & Wellness Summit, March 12-14, 2026
-Connect us with business partners whose employees are interested in supporting us (volunteer opportunities, raffles, site visits with our horses, tabling opportunities at company events, and more)
-Inquire about our fee-based resiliency programming for your staff
As our year at the farm draws to a close, we reflect with gratitude upon the many relationships that help sustain us and our community. To express our gratitude, we want to share with you this video crafted by the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina:
Wishing you and yours a pleasant and peaceful holiday! Please do reach out to Jenna Blackwell if you'd like to discuss these or other opportunities to support us!
