Our Mission at Hope Meadows Foundation

“Hope Meadows is dedicated to transforming lives through equine assisted mental health services and life skills programs; body, mind and spirit.”
— Hope Meadows Foundation Mission Statement

OUR VISION

Our vision is a community where everyone has access to effective and compassionate mental health support, utilizing the healing power of horses as a catalyst for change.

  • Transformational opportunities with horses

  • Equine-assisted experiential techniques for counseling and life skills programs to help facilitate healing mind, body, and spirit

  • A safe and calm environment

  • A Staff and Board committed to:

    • Professional growth and learning

    • Serving the community

    • Personal and herd transformation mind, body, and spirit

    • Respecting our therapeutic herd’s physical and psychological needs

    • Using a team approach that honors our therapeutic herd as the core of our program

    • Providing a calm and safe environment for both horse and human

    • Respecting, honoring and utilizing the healing power of nature

OUR VALUES

Our Values are:

  • Rooted in faith, respecting and honoring individuals from all faiths and backgrounds

  • Excellence in our services, staff, and Board.

  • Collaboration with the community to address the needs in pursuit of our mission

  • Viewing our herd as equal partners who provide us with valuable feedback about their needs and the needs of others.

  • Providing quality of life for our therapeutic herd through professional care and management.

  • Working as a team, honoring that our herd (human and horses) is the foundation of our program.

  • Honoring and respecting nature and it’s healing capacity.

Historical Chronology

In 2018, Hope Meadows Foundation (formerly Eating Disorder Advocates of Ohio) expanded its mission to provide equine assisted therapy and learning to address mental health and formulated a one of a kind equine assisted counseling and life skills program.

In 2019, Co-founders Michelle Togliatti and Anne Kichurchak brought their vision to life and Hope Meadows began seeing clients in their new home in Bath, Ohio. In 2021, we expanded our programming to include an additional facility in Richfield, Ohio where we continue to see clients today with herd members Jake, Duke, Pumpkin, Dominic and Georgio.

In 2022, Hope Meadows purchased property in Wadsworth Ohio (Granger Township) in order to expand their programming and herd. The new home for Hope Meadows includes a private 20 acre property, 16 stall barn and large indoor arena. The property is now home to Elucktra, Rob, Jags, Durk, Bailey, Faith and Naomie. Our humble team began as a dedicated group of just 4 volunteers to now include over 14 team members, many volunteers, and 12 equines.

We believe this unique experiential approach to mental health is what is needed in the world today. What might take 6-8 sessions in traditional counseling, we see happening in the first session.The horses allow healing to occur naturally and clients are able to feel safe and be more vulnerable because of the presence of the horse. They offer us insight we don’t see in a traditional setting.