The Dreampower Foundation

ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR 2023DreamPower received a Mentored Internship Program Round 2 grant from the California Department of Health. This grant was renewed for a second round of funding for Oct. 2023 Dec. 2024. Fourteen bachelors and masters level interns will participate in the MIP Round 2 grant, helping to develop a more robust behavioral health work force for California.Leadership 2 Partnership 25 volunteers participated in 4 weekly Leadership 2 Partnership classes, training the therapy horses in ground work and training the volunteers on how to handle the therapy horses consistently.Horses for Warriors Four free weekly support groups were offered year-round, facilitated by licensed psychotherapists, for US military veterans from all branches and all eras. Individual counseling and volunteer opportunities are also available for military veterans.LEOS (Law Enforcement Officers Support) Project this year-round project offers professional counseling and peer support with other law enforcement officers at DreamPower through horse activities, counseling, volunteering, and knife-making classes for active, retired, reserve, injured and admin leave law enforcement officers.Feb. 4, 2023 Poppy and Daisy, two Chincoteague Pony foals, arrived at DreamPower after graduating from Pony Kindergarten in Hughesville, Pennsylvania. They are being trained to work in the therapy programs at DreamPower Horsemanship.April 18, 2023 Bodie (a haflinger gelding driving horse) joined the therapeutic carriage driving program.May 6, 2023 Law Enforcement Family Day at the Ranch for law enforcement families (co-sponsored by the California Peace Officer Wives Association). A day of horseback riding, bluegrass music, ranch roping, miniature horses, bar-b-que and fellowship with other law enforcement families.May 2023 DreamPower started a new program, Rainbow Ranch, a summer support group for LGBTQ youth ages 13-18. This program was supported by the Mentored Internship Program grant.June 2023 DreamPower started a new summer reading club called Mistys Friends for children ages 8-12. This group was supported by a grant from the Gilroy Assistance League.June 2023 The Sixteenth Annual DreamPower Camp for Children with Special Needs where 20 children with special needs (ages 5 16) and 80 volunteers participated in a week of horseback riding, miniature horses, arts and crafts, social skills, making friends and outdoor education. Camp volunteers came from DreamPower and the South Valley Community Church Youth Group. Camp was supported by a grant from the Rotary Club of Morgan Hill.July 4, 2023 Twenty staff and volunteers represented DreamPower in the Morgan Hill Fourth of July Parade.July 22, 2023 Three DreamPower staff helped to co-facilitate the Gilroy Strong Resiliency Center Remembrance Retreat for Survivors of the 2019 Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting, in collaboration with the Gilroy Strong Resiliency Center.August 1, 2023 Major (a haflinger gelding driving horse) joined the therapeutic carriage driving program.Sept. 2023 - 11 mature trees were donated by Google, Inc. and planted at the ranch by DreamPower volunteers and Google, Inc.Oct. 2023 DreamPower hosted the Sixth Annual Sensory Friendly Trick or Treat Party for children with special needs from the community.Oct. 2023 DreamPower was the recipient of a Beautiful Day Work Project. Volunteers came all day for two days, painting and beautifying the ranch.Nov. 2023 DreamPower military veterans, staff and volunteers participated in the Morgan Hill Veterans Day Run. DreamPower was awarded a $2000 grant from the run, to support veterans services at DreamPower.Dec. 2023 DreamPower hosted the first Poinsettias, Pancakes, Ponies and Pictures Pancake Breakfast for volunteers and local community members who wanted to eat pancakes and get their photos taken with the DreamPower horses dressed up for the holidays.Dec. 2023 - DreamPower hosted a PATH Intl. Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning Workshop and Skills Testing. 18 students completed the workshop and passed the skills test as part of the certification process to become a PATH Intl. Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning.Dec. 2023 DreamPower created and hosted the Holiday Lights Obstacle Course for all volunteers and horses. 25 volunteers from Leadership 2 Partnership classes helped to facilitate the lighted, after-dark obstacle course for other volunteers and all the DreamPower therapy horses.

DreamPower Foundation Inc. (DBA DreamPower Horsemanship) is a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International Premier Accredited Center and a 501c3 non-profit charitable organization founded in 2002. For the past 18 years, DreamPower has provided equine-assisted psychotherapy and therapeutic horsemanship programs and services for children, teens, adults and elders with a wide variety of mental, emotional, physical and behavioral special needs. Now located at WoodMyst Farm in Gilroy, DreamPower provided services to 835 children, teens, adults and elders in 2019 through more than twenty equine-assisted programs, including the following:Equine Facilitated PsychotherapyAutism Research Groups (for children on the autism spectrum)Horses for Warriors (for military veterans of all eras and branches)Law Enforcement Family Day at the Ranch John F. Kennedy University Masters in Holistic Counseling classes Horses for Warriors Family Day at the Ranch (military veterans and families)Twelfth Annual DreamPower Camp for Children with Special NeedsSunnyvale Elks Family Day at the Ranch (for children on the autism spectrum)Womens Personal Growth Group Farm Friends (social skills groups for children)Horse Power: Living Strong with MS (for adults with multiple sclerosis) Therapeutic Horsemanship Lessons Equine Empowerment for Elders (for elders with high functioning dementia)LEOS Youth groups (for children from law enforcement families)The Hitch Team (therapeutic carriage driving program) Fire Buddies (for children affected by wildfire)Interactive Vaulting (social skills and gymnastics on horseback)Womens Harvest Circle (for women with anxiety and depression) Gilroy Strong Resiliency Center (for persons affected by the Gilroy Garlic Festival shootings)Sensory Friendly Trick or Treat Party (for children with special needs)