Dear Foster and Adoptive Families,
As a former foster parent and now an adoptive mom of four, I understand how overwhelming this journey can be at times. This monthly newsletter is here to provide you with the essential resources and support you need. At Packing Hope, we’re committed to standing by you as you navigate the challenges and joys of foster and adoptive parenting. In this issue, you’ll find information about our upcoming support group, a book recommendation that can be helpful for your family, highlights from Harmony IN Horses, and a freezer meal recipe designed to make your busy days a bit easier. We hope these resources offer you some practical support this month. Warmly, Gretchen I want to share with you a story, and a program that can transform the lives of teen girls who are often overlooked, girls who desperately need a place to rediscover themselves.
That program is Horse PowHer. Horse PowHer is not just a program—it’s a safe haven, a place where teen girls who have faced trauma, neglect, or the crushing weight of feeling invisible can come and find their strength. It’s a place where they begin to realize they are so much more than what life has thrown at them. That they are strong, capable, and deserving of hope. Let me introduce you to a girl like Lily—she’s 16, and her life has been anything but easy. She’s been shuffled between foster homes for most of her life, and somewhere along the way, she’s learned to keep her head down and her voice quiet. School feels like a place where she doesn’t belong, and home, well, that’s just a temporary stop. She’s spent so much of her life surviving that she’s forgotten what it feels like to actually live. Then Lily hears about Horse PowHer. At first, she’s skeptical. Horses How could that help She doesn’t know the first thing about horses, but we offer her something that she’s rarely been given—a choice. So she agrees to give it a try. When Lily arrives at the farm, she’s introduced to Genesis, a mustang who was once wild and free in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Like Lily, Genesis has been through her own journey. She was rounded up, taken from her home, and spent time in a holding facility. At first, Genesis was scared and wild—unsure of the humans around her. But over time, something in Genesis changed. Her curiosity overtook her fear. She learned to trust. As Lily starts to work with Genesis, something incredible happens. She sees herself in this beautiful, powerful horse—this creature who had every reason to shut down, to retreat, but who chose to step forward and trust again. Slowly, Lily starts to open up too. Through simple tasks, like brushing Genesis or walk. HAMILTON COUNTY — At Harmony IN Horses there is a focus on healing and connection. The organization serves kids who have experienced trauma in foster care or through adoption.
It's a growing mission in the town of Sheridan in Hamilton County that is already making an impact on Hoosier kids with equine assisted learning. |
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