In the News 

Sharing the benefits of equine therapy

PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville

2024 Letter from Jackie Kaschel

As I write, it is late October, and this has been one of our busiest years for client hours. We have increased our time with clients by over 30% from 2023 and as a result have transformed more lives. To date, Peace Ranch has provided over 750 hours of therapy for children and adults with similar issues.

Read More
PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville

2022 Letter from Jackie Kaschel

Dear Friends: This year I write with such nostalgia as I consider our journey to this landmark year in our history. The 17.5 acre ranch campus, much of which had been privately owned, now belongs in its entirety to Paraklesis dba Peace Ranch. A silent campaign launched in January by our Board of Directors raised nearly enough to retire the debt. Many thanks to the generosity of several anonymous donors, Bill & Susie Janis, and the estate of Peg & Erwin Sporte.

Read More
PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville

2021 Letter from Jackie Kaschel

Dear Friends: As I write, our local hospital has reached RED for the first time in history due to COVID19 complicated by a lack of medical and support staff. Schools are struggling with administrators juggling their responsibilities while doubling as teachers as coaches.

Read More
PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville

Peace Ranch's 2020 Fourth Quarter Newsletter

The weeks and months are flying by, so many changes and adjustments, adding, subtracting, doing more of some things and less of others with not much time to process, have made my cup feel a little emptier lately. One thing that is unchanged is our commitment to serving both horses and humans in need.

Read More
PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville

‘We Have A Lot To Be Thankful For’: Nonprofits’ Roller-Coaster Ride Eased By Funding, Donors, Creativity

At Traverse City’s Peace Ranch, which provides equine-assisted therapy to people of all ages needing mental health services, the pandemic brought cancellation of fundraising events but a swell in clients as the ranch took on people that state and local mental-health workers were prohibited from meeting with in person.

Read More
PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville

Peace Ranch Helps Veterans With PTSD

9&10 News is your Veterans Resource Station. This month, we’re talking about a nontraditional way to help treat post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD Some estimates show upwards of 20% of veterans suffer from some form of it.

Read More
PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville

Peace Ranch Equine-Assisted Therapy Helps People Cope during COVID-19 Crisis

Peace Ranch is an experience with a tranquil feel that immediately overcomes you when you walk onto the grounds in Hoosier Valley, just outside Traverse City. “We provide experiential therapy for people who have trauma, and we use horses in therapy, and that’s what makes it a little bit unique,” says Jackie Kaschel, the executive director and founder of Peace Ranch.

Read More
PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville

Peace Ranch on GATHER Grand Traverse

Nestled back on Hoosier Valley road in Traverse City is a tranquil farm appropriately named PEACE Ranch. At first glance, it resembles a regular farm; horses, outbuildings, and gardens. However, it is so much more than that. By: Brooke Felger

Read More
Veterans Shelley Dunville Veterans Shelley Dunville

Veterans Administration provides $637,700 for Equine-Assisted Mental Health Services to Veterans and Service Members through Eagala Military Services Designated Programs Across the United States

Eagala will receive $637,700 to fund services shown to improve mental and emotional health of veterans and service members across the United States. This funding, provided by the VA Adaptive Sport Grant (ASG), will serve veterans and Military servicemembers from Oct 2019- Sept 2020 through equine-assisted psychotherapy.

Read More
Veterans Shelley Dunville Veterans Shelley Dunville

Rep. Barr Successfully includes Equine Therapy to Veteran Suicide Prevention Bill

In the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Congressman Barr offered an amendment to the IMPROVE Act—a veteran suicide prevention bill providing grants to community organizations—that would include equine-assisted therapy, adaptive sports, and innovative approaches to the list of services which organizations can receive funding to provide to veterans.

Read More
PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville PEACE Ranch Shelley Dunville

No One in Need has been Turned Away Because of the Generosity of our Donors

Yesterday I was tagged in a social media post by a 14 year old. The title read: Suicide is Gen Z’s Second-Leading Cause of Death, And it’s a worse epidemic than anything millennials faced at that age. Along with horror at the title, I was intrigued that a 14 year old was posting an article of this nature from the Business Insider, an American financial and business news website published by Insider Inc.

Read More