Volunteer Opportunity: Barn Beautification and Maintenance
Who We Are:
Our mission is to partner equine and mental health professionals with the unique gifts of the horse to offer hope, healing, compassion, confidence and strength to veterans and underprivileged children. Through horsemanship, our facilitators help to identify and improve an individual’s struggles with trust, mindfulness, empathy as well as communication and leadership skills.
Overview:
Join us for a rewarding volunteer experience that supports our equine-assisted therapy program, which provides healing and growth opportunities for at-risk youth and veterans. Whether you’re an individual or part of a group, your efforts will directly contribute to creating a safe, welcoming, and therapeutic environment for our participants and horses.
Volunteer Tasks:
Stable and Barn Care:
Cleaning and Organizing: Help with mucking stalls, sweeping aisles, and organizing tack and feed rooms. Keeping the barn clean and organized ensures a healthy environment for our horses and a pleasant space for participants.
Minor Repairs: Assist with fixing fences, repairing gates, or doing light carpentry work around the barn. Handy volunteers can make a big difference in maintaining a safe space.
Grounds Maintenance:
Landscaping: Participate in activities such as weeding, planting flowers, and maintaining pastures. This keeps our facility inviting and calm, which is essential for the therapeutic process.
Trail Maintenance: Help maintain and clear riding trails used in therapy sessions. This may involve trimming branches, picking up debris, or adding new markers along the paths.
Horse Care Assistance:
Grooming and Feeding: Assist with grooming the horses, filling water buckets, and preparing forage. While direct horse handling may require some prior experience, these tasks are crucial in keeping our horses healthy and happy.
Tack Cleaning: Help clean and organize halters, lead ropes, carrot sticks, and other equipment to ensure they are in good condition for therapy sessions.
Special Projects:
Art and Creative Contributions: Volunteers with artistic skills can help design and paint murals, signs, or create other decorative elements around the facility that add to the therapeutic atmosphere.
Videography/Photography: Volunteers interested in photography, videography, or media development can help create social media, newsletter, fliers or other content that help spread the word about services offered and volunteer opportunities.
Event Preparation: Help set up for special events or fundraisers, including setting up tents, arranging seating, and decorating the space.
Administrative Support:
Office Assistance: For those who prefer indoor work, there’s always a need for help with marketing, fundraising, filing, data entry, or preparing materials for upcoming sessions and events.
Who Can Volunteer:
This opportunity is perfect for individuals, families, corporate groups, or community organizations. All skill levels are welcome, and tasks will be assigned based on experience and comfort level. We especially encourage groups to join us for a day of service, as many hands make light work.
Impact:
By volunteering your time and energy, you are directly supporting the healing journeys of at-risk youth and veterans. Your efforts help maintain a safe and nurturing environment where participants can connect with horses, find peace, and experience personal growth.
Time Commitment:
Volunteers can sign up for one hour, half-day, full-day, or ongoing shifts. We also offer special “Volunteer Work Days” where larger projects are tackled with the help of many hands.
How to Sign Up:
Interested volunteers can sign up on our website (https://www.windfallequestriancenter.com/windfall-equine-therapy-center-volunteer-application/) or contact our volunteer coordinator to discuss the best ways to contribute based on your skills, interests, and availability.
