Solebury Helping Friendly Farm Owner Recognized As 'Hometown Hero'

NEW HOPE, PA — Jessica Zander, the founder and director of Helping Friendly Farm in Solebury, has been recognized as a "PA-1 Hometown Hero" by U.S. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick.

Once a month, the Congressman picks a resident from the First Congressional District to recognize for their contributions to the community.

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Zander operates Helping Family Farm in Solebury Township where she works to enhance the lives of people with disabilities and their families through the power of animals, nature, and safe sensory exploration

"On a six-acre farm just outside New Hope, Jessica Zander has built something our community should be deeply proud of," writes the Congressman. "Helping Friendly Farm in Solebury is a place where children, families, and individuals with disabilities can grow, connect, and feel fully welcomed."

For more than 20 years, Zander has devoted her life to individuals with special needs, helping them build confidence, skills, and foster positive opportunities and connection.

"Her path began with my longtime partners at AmeriCorps, where she served as a special education teacher," said Fitzpatrick. "From there, she continued serving in specialized mental health and special education programs, and brought therapeutic yoga and meditation to children with special needs."

He continues, "As a mother of children with complex medical needs, Jessica understands what so many families carry every day—the appointments, questions, advocacy, trials and tribulations, and constant search for places where their loved ones will be met with patience, respect, and understanding.

"So, Jessica created that place," he said.

At Helping Friendly Farm, visitors of all ages and backgrounds can pet donkeys, sit with goats, explore a sensory barn, plant seeds, play on swings, spend time in nature, and connect with animals raised to be gentle and familiar with wheelchairs and adaptive devices.

"It is not clinical. It is not overwhelming. It is warm, intentional, evidence-based, and full of joy, compassion, and a place where all people are seen not for what limits them, but for all they are capable of becoming," said the Congressman.

(U.S. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick)

Brian Fitzpatrick represents Pennsylvania's First Congressional District, which includes all of Bucks County ad parts of neighboring Montgomery County.