Program Director
CurrentAs program director for Equines for the Front Lines, I wear a variety of hats. First and foremost, I develop and teach weekly horsemanship and riding lessons to local veterans. As part of that, I have arranged for service time at Golden Reward Horse Sanctuary, attendance at a natural horsemanship clinic, and participation in a cow-sorting event, all free of charge to the veterans. In order to help veterans, we need to have veterans. My greatest challenge is to reach the veterans who could benefit from our program. So recruitment is a huge part of my job.We operate on a peer-to-peer model. The shared experience of veterans is a powerful bond. I train veteran volunteers to support their fellow veterans. Through the train-the-trainer program, veterans teach lessons and activities, as well as provide moral and physical support to other veterans.An important part of our program is meal sharing and fellowship. Not being a veteran myself, the veterans relate to each other on a different level than I do, so there is always time for conversation. I have become quite proficient with a crock pot and provide a sit-down meal each week.Fundraising is the latest hat I have donned. A year into our program, we have received donations from family and friends, but it is time to extend our reach. I am knee-deep in learning social media and marketing to get the word out about our program. Our goals include increasing the number of veterans attending, maintaining top-quality care for our herd, and eventually building a facility onsite for meals, fellowship and education.
