VOLUNTEER
Get Involved & Help Us Make A Difference!
Promise Ranch Therapies & Recreation relies on the participation of dedicated volunteers to help facilitate daily lessons in a safe and supportive environment. Each of our riders requires the assistance of 1 to 3 volunteers in order to achieve their goals.
In addition to lesson/therapy session volunteers, we need people to work “behind the scenes” helping with barn chores, facility maintenance, ranch projects, fundraising, marketing, office and event support and other vital operations. If you’d like to be part of our “behind the scenes” team, please send inquiry to volunteer@prtr.org
Please note, the minimum age for volunteering at Promise Ranch is 16 years old.
Need Community Service Hours or Court-Ordered Service Hours?
Thank you for your interest in fulfilling your community service hours or court-ordered service hours with Promise Ranch. We appreciate your support and look forward to welcoming you as a volunteer.
What Our Volunteers Say...
“Dear Suzanne, I am writing to thank you and The Promise Ranch Staff for the kindness, acceptance and inclusion you have all shown me. I was feeling ashamed and embarrassed about my DUI conviction and the requisite community service hours I was mandated to complete. From my initial phone call to the Promise Ranch, you made sure I felt like a welcome addition to the Promise Ranch “family”. From doing barn chores to caring for the ranch’s small animal friends, I felt like my presence and my input was not only welcomed, but valued, as I was part of an essential team of volunteers helping the Promise Ranch achieve its mission. In addition to completing my community service hours, I met some great people and animals which I am proud to call my friends 🙂 Since I’ve had such a positive experience at the Promise Ranch, I plan to continue volunteering on a weekly basis. Thank you for helping to turn one of the hardest moments of my life into a wonderful experience I can be proud of!” – L.C.
Here’s what Susi Morrison has to say about her experience …. “I spent my childhood in Evergreen, CO and it was there that we had our first horse. Belle was a beautiful buckskin Quarter horse mare, and had such a gentle soul! We rode her in Gymkhanas for 4-H, the annual Evergreen Rodeo Parade and the Grand Entry at the Rodeo itself. I’ve lived in Parker with my husband and daughters since 1998 and previously volunteered at Praying Hands Ranch. After a little hiatus, I missed being around horses, so luckily discovered Promise Ranch and began volunteering again in 2018. I currently work as a Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Nutrition Coach, so I enjoy working with the clients and their horses, and getting to witness the huge physical and psychological benefits that therapy riding brings. It’s right up my alley since I come from a Health and Wellness background! Lastly, Promise Ranch is a special place and I’m glad to be able to contribute a small part to its success.”
“Hi all! My name is Mindy Sabby, and I am grateful to have found Promise Ranch due to its environment that encourages growth, connection, community, and healing. I grew up riding and showing horses and was introduced to adaptive riding while working on my early childhood special education endorsement. I also spent time researching and studying therapy with horses while earning my masters degree in counseling. Promise Ranch has been a special place to combine these interests and skills while continuing to learn and grow. In volunteering I enjoy working with diverse and unique personalities in partnership with a staff that is fun, caring, and willing to share their numerous skills and knowledge. I look forward to continued volunteering in a setting that spreads encouragement, compassion, empathy and support in their interactions with clients, staff, and the Castle Rock community.”
Michelle Nunez tells us about her experience at the ranch: “Growing up in Texas, I’ve always been comfortable around horses, but did not start working with them until my senior year in high school, which I spent volunteering with a hippotherapy program not far from my home. When I headed off to college, I was fortunate enough to learn to show both English and Western but following graduation, life intervened. For the next twenty years I served in the Air Force and raised a family, hoping some day to get back to working with horses. When I retired from the Air Force last year, I unexpectedly found myself adrift without purpose, and the hole in my heart got even larger when my mom unexpectedly passed away a short time later. But this was the push I needed, and volunteering at Promise Ranch was exactly what I was looking for to help mend my own soul. For the last 15 months I have been coming to the Ranch, and working with the horses has been just as therapeutic for me as it is our clients. The calmness I see in their faces when they ride is the peace I am finding in my own heart, and I look forward to seeing them and the therapists each week as much as I look forward to working around the horses. Thank you, Promise Ranch, for helping me find a sense of purpose and belonging again, and continue to serve in a way that not only allows me to work with horses, but lets me help others experience the peacefulness that comes with horsemanship as well.”
Steve Murphy shares his experience: “I love Promise Ranch! It provides my weekly source of goodness. I’ve been volunteering for over five years now and it is rewarding in so many ways. Over the years I’ve built bonds with parents, kids, and other volunteers, so it’s is like a second family to me. I also like it because I get to meet people of all ages and backgrounds.
Most of all, I know I’m helping people, so it’s a win-win situation for me, and I hope to continue serving here for many more years.”
Robin Esterhammer told us, “When we moved to Castle Rock in October of last year, my son Kai immediately wanted to work at the ranch we could see from our house. When we found out they were actually looking for volunteers, we went to an orientation class, and I was so taken by the dedication, empathy and passion the Promise Ranch people had that I also signed up for volunteering (although I hadn’t planned it). Since then, we have seen the PRTR team make giant strides in what they were offering to their clients and the wonderful animals that help them.
Since I have joined the team, I have done everything from shoveling horse poop to building goat stalls to sidewalking. It is so rewarding to see how much of an effect we can have on the lives of not only the clients but also on ourselves. Every time I come home from the Ranch I am in a better mood and overall feel happier than I was before.”