Volunteers
At H.U.G.S. Ranch, our amazing volunteers power our operations. Their support is crucial for our ministry, programs, and events to thrive. Without them, our mission wouldn't be possible.
We invite you to be part of our family.
Your time and support will make a real impact on those we serve while also bringing meaningful experiences and connections to your life. Join us at H.U.G.S. Ranch to spread hope, understanding, guidance, and support!
(BTW, no horse experience is necessary! We will train and equip you.)
Mentor
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Our mentors love Jesus and love the people who come to participate in our programs. They work one-on-one with our participants helping them to grow in confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth. They work with our horses to develop relationships with our participants, face challenges, overcome obstacles, and translate what they learned with the horse, to other parts of life. The mentors work with the participants where they are. Some sessions are busy and full of a variety of activities, while others are a time of relaxation and peace just brushing a horse and talking about life. We are so thankful for our mentors who share their lives with the ranch and the families and participants who come for our programs.
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• Mentors must be 18 or older by June 1 of current year
• Have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
• Must pass a background check
• Possesses a desire to show love to all who visit the ranch
• Willing to support and contribute to the mission of H.U.G.S. Ranch
• Able to commit to one day per week for eight weeks of summer, or a four-week block in the fall or winter
• Can deal appropriately with children, teens, parents, or other volunteers
• Is caring, patient, and able to withhold criticism while holding the participant accountable to ranch rules
• Able to work one-on-one with children and teens ages 5-18
8 Must abide by policies stated in the ranch Staff/Mentor Manual
• Attend trainings
General Volunteer
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We also have a special group of volunteers that don’t help with our programming directly but help keep the ranch running behind the scenes. These are our general volunteers. They will spend hours of time gardening, planting flowers, watering, and pulling weeds. They might come for an hour each week to help with maintenance projects around the ranch that the staff just can’t quite get to.
They also help with our pop can fundraiser, returning all the pop cans that the community drops off to support the work of the Ranch.
Wrangler
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The Wranglers are our 13–17 year-old volunteers. They come alongside what we are doing and help keep the ranch in working order. Sometimes they are assisting a mentor in their session. Often you will find them doing chores to keep the ranch looking good. They serve so willingly by picking up poop, pulling weeds, sweeping down cobwebs, keeping things clean and organized, or doing whatever special project happens to be on that day. They are such an encouragement to us as they seek to walk with Jesus and have the desire to serve others.
Please apply in January or February for the following summer. -
Have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
• Must be 13 years old by June 1 of current year
• Can commit to one day per week for eight weeks of summer
• Possesses a desire to show love to all who visit the ranch
• Possesses a willingness to support and contribute to the mission of H.U.G.S. Ranch
• Able to interact with children, teens, parents, and visitors appropriately
• Once accepted, wranglers will be required to attend training sessions
• Must abide by policies as directed by the Ranch staff
• Willing to do a variety of Ranch duties
• Able to work both independently and in a group with minimal supervision
Greeter
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Greeters are the welcoming faces of the Ranch as families arrive. They provide hospitality to the parents and siblings, take pictures of what is going on around the ranch, and keep us running on schedule by ringing a bell to remind us to wrap up our sessions. Many of our greeters have been through difficult seasons in their lives and can encourage and relate well to the families that come to the ranch.
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• Must be 18 or older by current year
• Has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
• Must pass a background check
• Possesses a desire to show love to all who visit the ranch
• Willing to support and contribute to the mission of H.U.G.S. Ranch
• Able to commit to 1 day per week for 8 weeks of summer
• Can deal appropriately with confrontation from children/teens, parents, or other volunteers
• Is caring, patient, and able to withhold criticism while holding the participant accountable to ranch rules
• Must abide by policies stated in the ranch Staff/Mentor Manual
• Attend trainings