New Freedom Farm, Inc., in Buchanan needs the public’s help by voting for it to receive a $25,000 grant from State Farm to help improve the facility. U.S. citizens who are 18 and older with a valid email address can vote for their favorite cause at www.neighborhoodassist.com/entry/2033914.
New Freedom Farm has until October 2 at 11:59 p.m. ET to rally votes and anyone voting is allowed up to 10 votes per day. On November 4, the top 40 vote-receiving causes will be announced at www.neighborhoodassist.com and a $25,000 grant will be awarded to each of the affiliated nonprofits.
New Freedom Farm, founded by US Navy veteran Lois Dawn Fritz, is a community farm on Lithia Road in Buchanan that aids veterans with PTSD, substance abuse and traumatic brain injury (TBI) by using the therapeutic activity of interacting with equines, farming and peer-to-peer support.
“Our goal is to empower veterans and help them heal through the realization of their own efforts and contributions. We have a herd of 18 horses, including seven mustangs, and veterans can participate in equine activity, gardening, and farm duties, which fosters physical, emotional, and spiritual health and helps with reintegration into civilian life,” Fritz said.
“We provide a safe, sober place for veterans to visit and be with the horses, participate in farm chores, or enjoy camaraderie with other veterans who understand their trauma. We offer counseling and mentoring to those in need and cater to all veterans. Our program is 100 percent free and is unlike any other; we meet the veteran on their terms and offer them a way to process their military experiences among peers who understand them,” Fritz said.
State Farm Neighborhood Assist is a crowd-sourced philanthropic initiative that empowers communities to identify issues in their neighborhoods. The State Farm Review Committee selected the top 200 finalists from 2,000 submissions.
