Through the healing power of horses, Lead AMT Stephanie Keim is passionate about serving those who served.

A co-founder of Two Angels Horse Farm in Williamsburg, Ky., which is focused on equine therapy, Stephanie’s aim is to serve veterans and first responders who can benefit from the healing presence of horses.

“Some veterans don’t know how to interact with their own family, so we want to build up their mental health with them, so they can learn to trust,” said Stephanie, who is based out of Endeavor’s Knoxville maintenance base. “You start with an animal and take what you’ve learned into your family. The farm will come in handy, especially for the ones that are returning home.”

Under the direction of Stephanie and her friend and co-founder Kerstin, the mission of Two Angels Horse Farm is to approach mental health “by using natural horsemanship, nature, and time to heal people and horses together.”

The farm currently has eight horses and a short list of veterans wanting to take part to find support and renewed purpose.

The idea for the farm came after seeing the effect horses had on Kerstin’s brother, a veteran who served tours in the Middle East. Stephanie and Kerstin decided to create the farm to help other veterans find joy again as well.

“To watch him downgrade himself and not be the jovial guy that I knew, it was hard to watch him fall, especially because I looked up to him,” Kerstin said of her brother. “That is when my passion [for helping veterans] started. If I could help him, then maybe I could help somebody else.”

For Stephanie, who has many veterans in her own family, her passion is paired with a deep respect for those who served.

“You hear their stories, or somebody knows a veteran and might tell you a story because a lot of [veterans] don’t want to talk about their experiences,” Stephanie said. “Hearing what they go through makes me have so much respect for the military, and I want to help in any way I can.”

A willingness to work hard and get her hands dirty is what inspired Stephanie to become an aircraft technician, and it continues to drive her with this latest endeavor. Having gained local exposure by attending community events and working with other local organizations, Stephanie and Kerstin are determined to make a difference.

“We want to give back to the community, and I want the veterans to be able to adapt and overcome their barriers,” said Stephanie.