"Unbridled Possibilities" Pictured: Santa and his helpers at the 2023 Holiday with Horses Event
Join Us this year on 15 December! |
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Message from the
Executive Director |
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Dear Friends of Affinity Ranch,
I hope you all had a joyful Thanksgiving, surrounded by family and loved ones. As we reflect on the past year, we are deeply grateful for the incredible support we have received from our volunteers, donors, clients, staff, and animal partners. Your unwavering commitment to our mission makes all the difference, and we cannot express enough how much we appreciate you.
As we enter the giving season, we are excited to share that Affinity Ranch is working to raise $50,000 before the end of the year. These funds are crucial to ensuring a successful start to 2025 and will allow us to expand our transformative programs to reach even more individuals and families. While we have made progress, there is still much to be done. To help us meet this goal, we are thrilled to announce a generous donor who will match all contributions up to $10,000!
You can make a one-time or recurring donation through Colorado Gives by clicking here. Many employers also offer matching gift programs, so please check with your workplace to see if they are willing to double your impact. If you're interested in running your own fundraising campaign for Affinity Ranch, we’ve made it easy for you to get started. Use this link to create your campaign and help spread the word. Remember, every donation counts—no matter the amount—and every dollar directly supports our mission. In addition to year-end giving, we have some exciting events on the horizon that we hope you’ll join us for: Thank you once again for your continued support. We are so fortunate to have you as part of the Affinity Ranch family, and we look forward to all that we can accomplish together in the coming year.
Happy Holidays,
Shannon Forslund
Affinity Ranch Executive Director
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Personnel Changes: Jewels Maslin is our new Barn Supervisor.
We have a new weekend barn hand, Kyle Snoich!
Koru Zebley has joined us as a new Job Coach working with our Supported Employees.
Rebecca Guess and Josh Roman have moved on and we wish them the best and hope to see them around the Ranch in the future.
A new horse, Shawnee, has joined the herd and is under evaluation for the next 3 months. |
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Kieva Speech Therapy and Inclusive Rhythms will be holding a series of workshops at Affinity Ranch in January and February. Voices Unbridled: AAC and Language Immersion Camps for kids between the gages of 4 and 12. You can read the flyer here and signup here
Experience connection through horse bonding, horseback riding, music, and barn activities. Meaningful opportunities to build confidence with communication, and connect with other AAC users —all supported by a team of specialists; an Assistive Technology Specialist and Speech Therapist, a Music Therapist and Teacher of the Visually Impaired, and an Equine Specialist. |
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We love our volunteers! In November, 107 people volunteered 870 hours broken out as follows:
Barn Help: 268 Board Members: 2 General Help: 10 Horse Handler: 546 Instructor Trainee: 15 Office Work: 15 Orientation: 11 |
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We just want to call out our Volunteer Groups in September. These folks came out with a specific task to do, and they got it done! Thank you so much for your help around the Ranch: Have a group looking for a volunteer project? We can always use the help! |
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Did you know Affinity Ranch operates with great Client, Employees, and Volunteers. But we also need help with other skills including Electricians, Plumbers and many others. Today's skill need is an Electrician. We need help with outside lighting, emergency lighting and a few other wiring needs. The Ranch can provide material, but we need a volunteer Electrician to help us maintain and improve our support to our clients and the community. If you can volunteer, please contact Glenn at Glenn@AffinityRanch.org |
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Meet Karen Clark - our Volunteer Spotlight for December. |
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Meet Diamond. With Jim, Jewels and Kathleen, Diamond's longest client. during our horse show couple weeks ago |
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Need to sit and focus but can’t focus right now? Grab a backpack and fill it with something heavy. Walk around a little bit with the backpack or find another “heavy work” activity you can easily do and enjoy. It will help increase focus and attention when you sit down to work afterwards. |
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Meet our Volunteer Coordinator - Lindsey Schellenger. |
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Do you have any of the following hanging around your house/yard/barn that you would like to get rid of? We would be more than happy to take them off your hands. Please coordinate with Jewels if you have anything you would like to drop off so we can be sure to meet you to help unload. T-Posts Live Stock Panels Wood Posts Fence Wire Garden Tools
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We have the following Wish Lists online if you would rather pick how your money is spent:
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We invite you to participate in a transformative statewide initiative that makes a significant difference in our community. Colorado Gives Day is on December 10, but early giving has begun!
From November 2 to December 10, every donation made through the Colorado Gives portal will contribute to our ambitious $50,000 goal. Your support empowers individuals with disabilities by providing vital opportunities for engagement through our programs, including Adaptive Horsemanship, Equine-Assisted Physical Therapy, Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy, Pre-Vocational Training, and Job Coaching.
But there’s even more to excite you!
Starting Nov. 1st, the Colorado Gives Foundation will match every NEW monthly donation made to non-profit organizations across Colorado, up to a total of $250,000. This is a unique opportunity—once these matching funds are exhausted, they will no longer be available.
In addition, we are thrilled to announce that a generous donor has committed to matching your contributions dollar for dollar, up to $10,000! Whether you choose to make a one-time donation or establish a monthly gift, your impact will be doubled.
Join fellow Coloradans in making a difference. Give where you live, and help us continue our mission at Affinity Ranch!
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