by Julianne Ahlin

Martha McNiel , Director of DreamPower Horsemanship , turned her own trauma into an outdoor space to help others with theirs .

San Francisco , Martha was working with foster children when she sought alternatives to help get the kids more physically active and landed on an idea that involved horses .

“ The most amazing part about the DreamPower community is the volunteers ,” she said . We have 500 of the most amazing , kind-hearted , generous , committed , dedicated volunteers I ’ ve ever met .” And they are always looking for more , along with donations , as hay prices have gone from $ 6 to $ 30 a bale .

Among other things , DreamPower is trying to make a dent in the dearth of mental health services . Use the contact info below to find out more .

After the tragedy of September 11th , Martha was driving across the Golden Gate Bridge daily . Hearing rumors that the bridge was the next target , she expected to be blown up . When she thought of how she ’ d answer God at the end of her life by saying she didn ’ t have enough time , and money , she realized that wasn ’ t good enough for her ; in the Spring of 2002 , she moved to San Martin to start DreamPower . Her goal was to make it five years ; this year she celebrates 21 years .

DreamPower offers 20 programs , including Horses for Warriors for US military veterans , military members and their families , with three weekly support groups that are free , two groups for mixed veteran groups , one group for women only , and individual counseling for families of veterans .

Other programs include the LEOS program for law enforcement officer support , Rainbow Ranch for LGTBQ + youth ( 13- 18 ), Marshall ’ s Club ( named after the mascot : an alpaca who suffered bullying from another ) for teens with special needs , groups for children with autism ( 5-13 ), a group for elders with high-functioning dementia , a carriage driving program for those who can ’ t walk , and Vaulting for Mental Health for children and teens ( 6-18 ).

Connected closely to the Gilroy Strong Resiliency Center as the Clinical Coordinator of Psychotherapy , Martha also helped create services for those affected by the Garlic Festival shooting , including ongoing groups for children affected by the tragedy .

DreamPower Horsemanship​ ( Est . 2002 ) Martha McNeil , LMFT , Founder / Executive Director 7460 Crews Road , Gilroy , California 95020 Mailing Address : 12425 Foothill Ave . 8 , San Martin , California 95046 408-686-0535 • dreampowerhorsemanship @ hotmail . com website : dreampowerhorsemanship . com Registered 501c3 Tax ID 30-0154433

Wish List Treeless saddles • cases of bottled water • Rainbow reins New equestrian helmets • Manure forks • New leaf rakes Cage safety stirrups • Fly spray • Human first aid supplies • Fly masks Equine first aid supplies • Hand puppets Art supplies : markers • paints • crayons • drawing paper • glue • etc .

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