Soul to Soles Connection | Application Preview
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General Information
Business Registration Number: 82-1293970
Location: Statesville, NC, United States
Length of Operation: 1-5
Number of Employees: 1-10 Employees
Annual Gross Income: Less than $100k
Annual Gross Expense: Less than $100k
Open to Loans: NO
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Funding Usage
All services are Soul to Soles Connection are at no cost to veterans, first responders and their families. The grants we receive goes directly to their treatment care team.
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Business Plan
Looking back I never would have imagined where we are now! In 5 years, I hope to have 5 therapists working full time out at the farm. I hope to have a Reiki master, yoga instructor and acupuncturist on the farm for regular sessions. I want the Lake Norman community to know that there is a wellness center, in nature, with horses, that provides effective mental health treatment. Allowing everyone to commit to their wellness and healing without fear of judgement or punishment. It is our goal to educate, increase awareness and engage the public in holistic opportunities. Together, we will "Stomp the Stigma" around mental health, especially within the military and first responders. The statistics are staggering and reflect the need for accessible mental health options. Since September 2001, over 2 million Americans have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan with 30% receiving a mental health diagnosis before returning home. Over 475,000 returned home with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). There are over 90,000 veterans in the Charlotte area in dire need of effective and obtainable mental health options.
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Self Identified Competition
There are not competitors in the world of mental health! We have amazing organizations in the area that offer therapeutic riding and those that offer mental health with horses. Each organization provides unique healing experiences. Other farms that I proudly recommend are Bit of Hope Ranch in Gastonia, Saving Grace Farm in Salisbury and Shining Hope Farm. Soul to Soles Connection was incorporated as a public charity in 2020. Katie Stankiewicz founded Willow Equine, in 2012, to serve civilians seeking an “out of the office” approach to counseling, professional development and wellness. Willow Equine welcomed veterans from the W. G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center in Salisbury in 2017. It rapidly became apparent that Soul to Soles Connection needed to be a stand-alone program, dedicated to the mental health of America’s military with services offered at no cost. Our core values are integrity, commitment, courage, and trust. We uphold those values through Honesty, Openness, Nature, Ownership, and Respect (HONOR). While riding/horsemanship are beneficial, it can obscure the horse’s natural, unfiltered, and unbiased response to the client. It is in this authentic interaction, with the clients, and especially the client’s internal emotional inner landscape, that unlocks the true impact of mental health with horses. We are the only equine organization that offers strictly ground based counseling and wellness (Reiki and Meditation) with no emphasis on riding or horsemanship. Referrals are made for those seeking riding. The therapists at Soul to Soles Connection are highly trained in trauma, military culture, and mental health with horses. We can incorporate Eye Movement Desensitation and Reprocessing, Reiki, and meditation into the sessions. The farm is privately owned with 14 horses, 4 llamas, and 4 puppies! The non-traditional approach allows clients to move beyond the perceived stigma associated with talk therapy, while maintaining confidentiality. To date, we have served 118 veterans over 450 hours of care and have over 5000 sessions hours in mental health with horses.
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Contact Applicant
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