So You Would Like to Volunteer?
Helping horses in need can be a rewarding experience, but consider what it will take before you commit to volunteering. Being a volunteer has great emotional appeal, but fulfilling a volunteer commitment can become a real burden if you have not carefully considered the realities of your responsibility. Before you make a commitment to volunteer, ask yourself the following questions. Be honest and realistic about your answers..
1. How much time do I have to volunteer?
This is an important question. We rely on volunteers for a significant amount of the workload. Even though
you will not be paid for your time, efforts or expertise as a volunteer, failure to complete or follow through
on a task can have a significant impact on other volunteers and staff, the horses and the organization.
2. Can I commit to a specific day and time
each week, or do I need a flexible volunteer schedule?
Remember, not only must you assess how much time you have to volunteer, but also how your time is structured.
Barn Volunteer hours are between 6 and 10pm during the week; 8am till 5pm on Saturday; 10am till 5pm on Sunday.
Other non barn related projects do not have required times, but do require a number of hours and some have
deadlines. Volunteers who have proven themselves responsible and reliable may be assigned to earlier times at the
barn upon an officers approval.
3. How long a period can I make this
commitment?
Our volunteer positions are ongoing and have no end date. Assess the length of time you can and want to
commit to and make sure you have the time available.
4. Does my schedule change during the
year?
Very often, schedules vary with the months or seasons. If you have school-age children, will your schedule
be different during the summer months? If you are a student, do you work full time in the summer? Make sure
you take into account any schedule changes that can affect your availability. We can be flexible with our
days scheduled, but the hours at the barn are set and cannot be changed.
5. Do I have the skills or expertise to do the
job?
Just because it is a volunteer position does not mean that you are exempt from getting the job done properly.
If the position calls for special skills or expertise, be honest about your ability to handle what is needed
and required. Stall cleaning and watering does not require any experience and we will train you. Grooming horses,
interacting with horses, etc does require experience; however we have clinics available to volunteers to learn
these skills.
6. Where do I rank on the emotional fortitude
scale?
Volunteer work can be immensely rewarding, but there are emotional risks. At our horse rescue you might be
faced with the fact that not all horses can be saved. Consider your ability to deal with tragic and difficult
circumstances. Horses may also get adopted and leave that you have become attached to.
7. What is my volunteer budget?
In addition to donating your time, sometimes you might be required to purchase equipment that may be broken
by you. If volunteering at the barn you must commute to the facility so consider your travel costs, which
add up over time (gas is not cheap right now). We are a 501(c)3 organization, your time is not deductible
on your taxes, however your mileage, expenses and donations are.
8. What's in it for me?
Be realistic about the rewards you expect. Make sure you are volunteering because you sincerely want to help,
not because you feel it will benefit you in some way. Volunteer because you want to help, with no strings
attached. Our volunteer program is NOT designed for people to just come and ride when they want. We only allow
experienced horse people to ride/lunge horses. If you want to learn to ride, we offer riding lessons. If you
want time to ride, you may always lease one of the horses.
9. Where will I fit in best?
Give serious thought to the type of volunteer work you prefer to do. Do you want to work with people or horses?
Do you mind physical labor or do you prefer an office-oriented desk job? Would you like to work behind the scenes or
on the front line? Do you prefer working with other volunteers, or are you more comfortable working alone?
Do you only want to work with the horses? The answers to these questions may help you eliminate some positions
and may highlight others that would be a good match for your comfort zone and personality.
10. Am I really committed, or do I suffer from
"great intention syndrome"?
The urging of a good friend, a compelling speech, or an emotional appeal by a non-profit group can stir our
emotions and cause us to rush to the telephone or sign up to volunteer. Getting caught up in the emotion of
the moment can make you commit to something that you will have to apologetically extricate yourself from
later on. A volunteer who resigns shortly after training is very costly to an organization.
There are a million good reasons to volunteer and there are nearly as many opportunities to volunteer and make a difference. Careful consideration will increase your chances of having an extraordinarily rewarding and enriching volunteer experience. If you are ready to commit, we welcome you to join us.
How to become a volunteer:
- Fill out the online Orientation RSVP to attend our next Orientation, held monthly.
- Allison Milano, our Vice President, will contact you once seh receives your RSVP to let you know the time and date of our next orientation, as well as send you directions to our facility (it is NOT the office location).
- Once you have attended a H.O.P.E. Volunteer Orientation, you will be able to begin volunteering
- If you have any questions, please contact Allison at Allison@hopehorserescue.org or 330.321.3755.
Volunteer Guidelines:
- Under the age of 18? A parent or LEGAL guardian must attend the orientation.
- Children, under 13 yrs, must be supervised by their parents at all times.
- No Horse Experience Is Required for non-riding jobs, we will train you!
- A release form must be completed and signed when you come to H.O.P.E.
Volunteer Benefits:
- Opportunity to learn about and interact with horses
- Opportunity to stay involved with horses if you have had to give yours up
- Great opportunity for new trainers to gain experience with various types of horses and build your resume.
- The joy and satisfaction of knowing your helping to save a horses life