Still Standing. Still Serving. And the Stories Keep Coming.

May 13
3 min read

By Daryl Fletcher, CEO & Executive Director | SOOFA Ranch

Family, I want to share something with you today.

If you've been following our journey, you know the last season hasn't been easy. Losing our property was a blow that could have stopped us. And honestly, there were moments where I had to sit with that reality and ask myself some hard questions. But God, our mission, and people like YOU kept us moving. In our last update, I shared that SOOFA Ranch was finding ways to continue serving, even on a limited scale, from our temporary location in Whitesburg, GA. I knew it mattered. But I don't think I realized how much until recently.

I want to share two stories with you that remind me exactly why we do this work.

Kendia Drove 300+ Miles Just to Be Here

Last week, I received a text from a woman named Kendia. She had been a guest at SOOFA Ranch on a trip to Atlanta some time ago. She lives in Tallahassee, Florida. Let me say that again. Tallahassee, Florida.

Kendia, if you're reading this, thank you.

When she found out that SOOFA Ranch was still operating, even in a limited capacity, she made the decision to drive all the way to Whitesburg, GA for a day trip. Not a weekend. Not a vacation. A day trip. She came for some recreational riding time, and what unfolded was so much more than that. It became a cathartic session. A release. A reset. The kind of thing that happens when someone connects with a horse and finally gives themselves permission to exhale.

Here's what really hit me. Kendia passed hundreds of ranches on her drive from Tallahassee. Hundreds. She could have stopped at any one of them. But she made the intentional choice to experience SOOFA Ranch. That is not something I take lightly. That kind of trust and that kind of commitment to her own healing journey tells me everything I need to know about the impact of what we're building.

Kendia, if you're reading this, thank you. You reminded us that this work reaches further than we can see.

Skyview High School Brought the Next Generation to Our Gates

The second story is one that truly speaks to the heart of our mission.

A local high school in South Fulton, Skyview High School, chose SOOFA Ranch as their end of year trip. Over 20 students showed up ready to experience something they had never encountered before. And what they got was a full day of equine assisted learning and recreational riding through our Horses Healing the Hood initiative, an experiential behavioral health program powered by equine assisted services.

Skyview High School Brought the Next Generation to Our Gates

Watching those students interact with the horses was everything. The curiosity. The nervousness that turned into confidence. The laughter. The quiet moments where you could see something shift inside of them. That's the work.

But it didn't end when the buses pulled away. After the visit, we spoke with the school's principal, and the conversation turned into something much bigger. Skyview High School is now interested in building a long term relationship with SOOFA Ranch. We're talking about ongoing programming to help students work through emotional regulation, stress, anxiety, and conflict resolution skills through our Horses Healing the Hood program.

What started as a field trip just became a partnership. And that's the kind of thing that keeps me going.

25 Schools by 2027. That's the Goal.

For the 2026 to 2027 school year, SOOFA Ranch has set a goal of serving 25 schools across the Metro Atlanta area through our Horses Healing the Hood program. That is an ambitious number, and I will not pretend otherwise. But stories like Skyview remind me that the young people are out there waiting for something like this. And we plan to meet them where they are.

We don't have our own facilities right now. That's real. But we're still showing up, and we're still making an impact. That part hasn't changed and it won't.

Thank You for Believing in Us

I say this all the time, but I mean it every time. None of this happens without you. Your support, your prayers, and your belief in SOOFA Ranch is what keeps us standing. When you donate, when you share our story with someone, when you tell a friend about what we do, you become part of this mission right alongside us.

You can continue to make tax deductible donations to SOOFA Ranch at www.soofaranch.org. Every gift, no matter the size, helps us get one step closer to rebuilding and reaching more lives.