Heart of Horse Sense - Mental Health Recovery in WNC
Donation protected
It’s been nearly 5 months since Hurricane Helene devastated western NC. As a non-profit dedicated to the promotion of mental health and well-being through the horse/human connection, Heart of Horse Sense is seeing the disastrous impact of Helene on the mental health and well-being of our clients and community members.
While we are grateful for each donation that we have received in response to Helene, our disaster relief campaign has not yet met the need. We are urgently raising funds to provide critical disaster-related mental health services for WNC, at a time when that need is mushrooming. Our disaster campaign goal is $60,000.
Here are a few ways that Heart of Horse Sense continues to pivot toward the need:
- We created our Stable and Safe program in which folks can come to our farm to engage with horses and each other, leaving feeling centered and grounded;
- On March 11, 2025, from 3-5pm at our farm, we will host Stable and Safe specifically for non-profit leaders in WNC, many of whom are now struggling with trauma themselves. RSVP HERE
- On April 1, 2025, from 4-6pm Stable and Safe will be open to the public. RSVP HERE
- We took our therapy horses to connect with veterans evacuated from Asheville’s Veterans’ Restoration Quarters;
- We assisted with getting critical feed and hay to livestock farms in WNC; and
- We will host our First Responder Mental Health Summit in Asheville, April 24-26, 2025. Now more than ever, our first responders, their families, and leadership need help and resources to overcome the stigma associated with seeking mental health support. Our summit will include 2 days at A-B Tech with presentations by first responder thought leaders from across the U.S., as well as panel discussions, and the third day will be at our farm for an equine-assisted experiential and demonstration of equine-assisted therapy.
Additionally, the daily uncertainty relating to our access to federal funding on which we rely for the provision of services to our veterans & other clients has added further stress to our funding needs.
Every dollar donated will support survivors of trauma and those impacted by this tragedy
Organizer
Shannon Sikes Knapp
Organizer
Marshall, NC