Volunteering at the Ranch
Adult Volunteers
The Flying T depends on it's gracious volunteers since creating and maintaining this environment has proven to be quite a challenge. Our volunteer force has been invaluable in keeping things going. We are always looking for willing individuals who would like to volunteer and have many different and diverse opportunities.
You may refer to the list below for suggested volunteer roles. Please see our volunteer opportunities page for further clarification of each role.
Greeter
Energy
Booster Power House "our work horse"
Artisan "make things beautiful"
Mechanic
Playal "encourages kids to be kids"
Prayer Team
Listener "keeps open ears to our many ranch visitors"
Trucker
Green Thumb
Memory Maker
Professional Assistance
Builders
Teacher
Housekeeper
Office Assistant
Session Instructor
Intern
Your Ideas
Please note, all volunteers who work onsite with children will be required at no charge to pass a background check.
Volunteering as Healing
Volunteering is a foundational part of our program, and most riding sessions begin with a chore. This is usually 10-20 minutes where a leader and child work together picking pens, pulling weeds, or working on various ranch projects. Involvement in these simple tasks builds value into the heart of a child.
We strive to teach our children that they can do something to improve the life of someone else. This fulfills an elementary need in every child’s heart. That is, the need to be needed. Oftentimes having this feeling of value is an integral part of a child’s healing. It is within the selfless and beautiful relationships between broken children and broken horses that we have seen miracles happen. We have found that this happens not only in the hearts of the children, but also in the men and women who volunteer and serve here at the ranch.Volunteering Your Session Time
Many of our children benefit greatly from our riding session program, but are looking for more opportunities to be involved. Allowing them to volunteer outside of session time provides them a place to be challenged and become a closer part of the ranch family. Children who choose to be more involved will labor hand-in-hand with their adult counterparts, learning from their elders, witnessing the value of a hard-day’s work, and building some muscle while they are at it.
Junior Volunteers
If you are under 18, a part of the riding program at Flying T, and looking for an opportunity to get more involved, you may be eligible to volunteer. Ask your leader about it during your next session time; they will be able to determine if you are ready for this exciting opportunity, in which case they will refer you to us. To ensure everyone has a chance to learn and is safe, we will be limiting the number of junior volunteers we have each day. Those youth who are able to commit to come weekly (seasonal volunteers) will be considered first for volunteering, but we hope to include as many as we can.
A junior volunteer’s experience at the ranch will differ greatly from that of an adult volunteer. . .
It is our goal to teach ranching skills to our junior volunteers. Volunteering sessions will always include physical labor, but may also include informal classes on a number of topics including horsemanship, ranch maintenance, gardening, etc. Junior volunteers will also have less independent choice regarding activities they will take part in while at the ranch.
Junior Volunteers must have adult guardians with them onsite during all volunteering sessions. Older children may be invited to volunteer without parental presence once we have determined they are able to work independently.