Maxine Freitas 'Works On The Solutions Cheerfully'

SANTA ROSA, CA — Without community leaders, Santa Rosa wouldn’t hum along nearly as smoothly as it does. We’d miss their contributions in big and small ways.

Patch has partnered with T-Mobile to recognize these often unsung community leaders and celebrate their contributions.

This submission comes from Debby Lowe, a reader who nominated Maxine Freitas.

How do you know this community leader?

She is the director of the Equi-Ed (Therapeutic-Adapted Riding) program I volunteer at. I work with her each week.

What does this community leader do?

Maxine (Max) is the director and instructor of the Equi-Ed-ed program which she started in 1993. Equi-Ed (equines and education) teaches adapted horseback riding specially designed to meet each individual's special needs. It also incorporates academic goals from special education.

Why do you believe the community leader should be recognized or honored?

Max works diligently to make the equi-ed experience great for each student as well as for the volunteers. During the 2017 fires she lost her home and horse, but rather than dwell on her loses, she jumped into action rescuing the equi-ed horses and finding a temporary place for them to stay. For days and months she spent countless hours caring for the horses and coordinating volunteers. Once the horses could be returned to the equi-ed barn she got the program up and running again. Thankful that fire hadn't harmed the barn; It just burned the pasture fences.

What's one thing you want everyone to know about the community hero?

Max has been fighting cancer which had reoccured three times and now again. This time it affected her lungs. She was on oxygen, which she carried to equi-ed and kept on working. She is doing better now, has good test results and is much stronger. Why I admire her: she doesn't complain about her problems or feel sorry for herself. She works on the solutions cheerfully. She is patient and kind to both students and volunteers. She gets things done.

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Know a community leader who deserves a shout-out?

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