When fire struck Maui last year, Janice Dapitan lost her home and her job.
But she's since been able to return to it, thanks to an equine-assisted therapy program at the Spirit Horse Ranch in Maui's rural upcountry, an hour's drive from Lahaina.
"The connection with the horses is different than connecting with machines or humans," Dapitan tells the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
"The peacefulness really breaks your walls down.
They are in a place of coherence all the time, not thinking about tomorrow, not thinking about yesterday."
The program, now supported by grants from the Hawaii Community Foundation, Maui United Way, and other private donors, has provided more than 1,300 sessions for impacted residents.
"I think I got the most out of the horses in two days versus the year that I've been having regular counseling," says Dapitan.
"We just focus on new opportunities, creating new memories."
The last families are moving out of hotels and into the interim housing meant to carry them over until Lahaina rebuilds.
"We're unsure of our future, how our cultural aspect is going to pan out," says a program manager.
A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.
In the world of social enterprises, failure is a cringe-worthy moment nobody wants to talk about. But, social entrepreneurs can benefit from their failures.