2022 National Volunteer Appreciation
The 3rd week of April is traditionally National Volunteer Appreciation Week but with weather cancelations, Spring Break for the horses and volunteers alike a week just wasn’t enough time to celebrate and spotlight so we took the whole month!
2022 is our 50th Anniversary and we have been looking back and reminiscing about all the fun times and growth of the organization (have you been following along?). That’s why this year we brought back an old tagline... “Mane Stream Volunteers are Hot to Trot!” A play on words because we know our volunteers are often jogging here and there, up and back all afternoon long. Several of our most tried and true program volunteers continue to help out several times a week as the pandemic keeps others from returning. We thank them for sticking with us and hope to continue to grow our volunteer base throughout the summer. We couldn’t do it without you!
Each day the volunteers were treated to a spread of snacks and drinks, including an oldie but a goodie, pretzel rolo bites. Additionally, 50th Anniversary Mason jar mugs filled with candy were presented to everyone as a small token of our esteem.
Managing the volunteer schedule is a hard job. As the 1st Volunteer Coordinator, Carol Ferris stated in her recent “spotlight article”, “It’s the Giant Jigsaw Puzzle of Constantly Changing Pieces”. It requires the volunteers to be flexible, super flexible, and thank goodness they are. The staff thinks the volunteers are amazing and the participants do too!
Thank you to everyone who volunteered during Volunteer Appreciation Month! Additionally, thanks go out to another 150 or so who help throughout the year with on-site programs and annual fundraisers. Without their commitment to our programs, Mane Stream would not be able to provide the consistent level of care our participants require.
Finally, we must thank all the volunteers that take pride in keeping our herd looking good. We know time spent in the barn is YOUR therapy but the horses truly adore you and all the LOVE you shower upon them.
