Post by coconut on Dec 18, 2008 1:06:26 GMT -5
Hmmmm.....I still need someone to take on Fridays, but...
12/19 is covered thanks to Julie ;D ;D
12/26 is covered thanks to Kerstin ;D ;D
also a BIG Thanks to our brand new volunteer Coleen who has taken on Mondays for us
We will be looking at covering Fridays all through 2009.
...and I guess I'll jump in on the way this thread has been heading...
I'll leave the actual financials to those who know the costs best (which is NOT me) but I'm going to observe that if our donation opportunities dried up today and we didn't take in another dollar for a few months, that $25k would only last us a few months and then we'd really be sunk.
That cushion could also save us in the future if we end up with another large seizure like we had last winter (and aren't these current cases scaring the crud out of all of us already? Winter isn't really here yet!). We'd have to use that to help horses in desperate need immediately and what if it took several months to get an AC department to pay us again? That was pretty scary...I'm sure we all remember the panic mode we went into and ALL of the HARD WORK that went into events like the yard sale & horse show.
YOU all had a big hand in those events & they did make a big difference. But we depleted every resource taking care of the Elledge horses while waiting for the funds to start flowing in the case of King County.
These horses, we all agree, require & deserve a healthy environment and the best care we can give. We have FANTASTIC volunteers & I am in AWE of what they do to keep the horses in the best conditions possible. Jaime works extremely hard to help the horses as well as maintaining a career that basically provides the space that this miraculous works takes place from. I can go on and on about how the entire system is supported additionally by the AMAZING foster system and the OUTSTANDING health care professionals that basically donate the profit part of their care for these horses (and then some) to make sure that SAFE continues to be able to care for these and future horses.
I would add that our volunteers do so out of love for the horses, be it picking up poop, fundraising or providing administrative services (the BOD, me, etc....) without taking any kind of payment other than the way it makes us feel. We do get something out of this work & I'm certainly not suggesting there is anyone who is even remotely concerned that any level of effort put forth in this Volunteer Organization is not with the best intentions or integrity.
I can also totally see the benefit for hiring someone to get these very needed chores completed dependably. I hate to see the money go out when there are many people who would do it for the love of the horses but when the system breaks, it's stressful for many us, especially Jaime who lives there and will not rest until the horses needs are met, even when she has a very important project to work on for the job that allows us all the ability to save horses.
I will say that the hiring someone subject has also come up behind the scenes because these non-optional chores must get done. Right now I'd like to give people the chance to work around the horses and save the organization a few dollars here and there while we, perhaps, fill in the missing days with paid help.
I might even venture that some of us who currently donate, without a horse to sponsor (I think I'm still donating for Kokomo...I guess I just don't want to face the fact that he didn't come home with me, so I haven't turned off the donation faucet yet ) might decide to designate that donation to a Chore Fund and allow us to pay for someone to help out when we need it.
If Juan is available to fill in, that might be a great option! I don't know what his needs/thoughts are on the subject so I don't want to make plans for someone I don't even know BUT if he were able to be flexible then something might be able to work out. That, however, is something that the Board will need to decide. We can all certainly make our suggestions and opinions known. I'm sure they'd like to know what we think in this regards.
I also want to preserve the right of the volunteers to get out there and make a difference. One of the most powerful (and sometimes difficult) gifts to give to another person is the opportunity to give of themselves. If we don't give others the ability to shine, we may put out their light and I, for one, am not in the habit of dimming anyone's light. In fact, I am quite the opposite...I LOVE giving other's a way to share in the REWARD of caring for others. In this case, it's Horses!
ok...I'm done for now......I can almost hear the zzzzz's from here
12/19 is covered thanks to Julie ;D ;D
12/26 is covered thanks to Kerstin ;D ;D
also a BIG Thanks to our brand new volunteer Coleen who has taken on Mondays for us
We will be looking at covering Fridays all through 2009.
...and I guess I'll jump in on the way this thread has been heading...
I'll leave the actual financials to those who know the costs best (which is NOT me) but I'm going to observe that if our donation opportunities dried up today and we didn't take in another dollar for a few months, that $25k would only last us a few months and then we'd really be sunk.
That cushion could also save us in the future if we end up with another large seizure like we had last winter (and aren't these current cases scaring the crud out of all of us already? Winter isn't really here yet!). We'd have to use that to help horses in desperate need immediately and what if it took several months to get an AC department to pay us again? That was pretty scary...I'm sure we all remember the panic mode we went into and ALL of the HARD WORK that went into events like the yard sale & horse show.
YOU all had a big hand in those events & they did make a big difference. But we depleted every resource taking care of the Elledge horses while waiting for the funds to start flowing in the case of King County.
These horses, we all agree, require & deserve a healthy environment and the best care we can give. We have FANTASTIC volunteers & I am in AWE of what they do to keep the horses in the best conditions possible. Jaime works extremely hard to help the horses as well as maintaining a career that basically provides the space that this miraculous works takes place from. I can go on and on about how the entire system is supported additionally by the AMAZING foster system and the OUTSTANDING health care professionals that basically donate the profit part of their care for these horses (and then some) to make sure that SAFE continues to be able to care for these and future horses.
I would add that our volunteers do so out of love for the horses, be it picking up poop, fundraising or providing administrative services (the BOD, me, etc....) without taking any kind of payment other than the way it makes us feel. We do get something out of this work & I'm certainly not suggesting there is anyone who is even remotely concerned that any level of effort put forth in this Volunteer Organization is not with the best intentions or integrity.
I can also totally see the benefit for hiring someone to get these very needed chores completed dependably. I hate to see the money go out when there are many people who would do it for the love of the horses but when the system breaks, it's stressful for many us, especially Jaime who lives there and will not rest until the horses needs are met, even when she has a very important project to work on for the job that allows us all the ability to save horses.
I will say that the hiring someone subject has also come up behind the scenes because these non-optional chores must get done. Right now I'd like to give people the chance to work around the horses and save the organization a few dollars here and there while we, perhaps, fill in the missing days with paid help.
I might even venture that some of us who currently donate, without a horse to sponsor (I think I'm still donating for Kokomo...I guess I just don't want to face the fact that he didn't come home with me, so I haven't turned off the donation faucet yet ) might decide to designate that donation to a Chore Fund and allow us to pay for someone to help out when we need it.
If Juan is available to fill in, that might be a great option! I don't know what his needs/thoughts are on the subject so I don't want to make plans for someone I don't even know BUT if he were able to be flexible then something might be able to work out. That, however, is something that the Board will need to decide. We can all certainly make our suggestions and opinions known. I'm sure they'd like to know what we think in this regards.
I also want to preserve the right of the volunteers to get out there and make a difference. One of the most powerful (and sometimes difficult) gifts to give to another person is the opportunity to give of themselves. If we don't give others the ability to shine, we may put out their light and I, for one, am not in the habit of dimming anyone's light. In fact, I am quite the opposite...I LOVE giving other's a way to share in the REWARD of caring for others. In this case, it's Horses!
ok...I'm done for now......I can almost hear the zzzzz's from here