A CENTER FOR 21ST CENTURY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT:
Where the wisdom of the past, present, and future of leadership comes together for the dignity and benefit of all.
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Your Donations are Tax Deductible.
June 2023
First Nature Notes: Disaster Averted
Dear Friends of First Nature Foundation,
We asked for the rain last month and we’ve gotten plenty of it in June already! As I write this, the day after the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, it’s definitely summer and we’ve had almost daily thunderstorms. We’re glad for the rain (though enough is enough already!) but we could do without the lightning.
Our new walled shelters have been coming in handy for the horses as retreats from the storms. And the mud mats have been helping keep the facility a little bit cleaner. The weather forecasters have had real difficulty getting the weather right lately, though. For example, the day before yesterday it was forecast to have a clear evening, but we had awful thunderstorms and 500 lightning strikes per hour. Then yesterday it was supposed to rain all morning, so we gave the horses access to the walled shelters, but the rain stopped quickly in the morning and the skies turned sunny. Go figure!
Speaking of lightning, we arrived one morning to find no water coming from our taps and hoses, no air conditioning or internet in the barn, and our ceiling fans were all making a strange low humming sound. We had the electricians out, the well drillers, and the internet tech guy, and were told our fan and a/c motors were ruined and we needed a new well pump, to the tune of over $5200! It looked like the voltage coming to our main electrical panel was too high, so we also called the utility, who found a blown fuse on a pole transformer down the road. Voila! Once that was fixed, everything at the ranch was also working properly. And the well driller, bless his heart, put back in our old well pump and it worked perfectly. That blown fuse meant we weren’t supposed to have any power, but we had too much power…it’s a mystery!! But we are so thankful we didn’t need to foot the bill for repairs!
​Are you local to us and can recommend a good mechanic who has availability to come to our ranch to service our equipment? Our tractor, mowers, fence line trimmers, cart, and other equipment need regular maintenance and our recent mechanic has gotten too busy to get to us. If you know someone trustworthy, reliable, and reasonable, please reach out to us at kerul@firstnaturefoundation.org.
This month we welcomed a new cohort of veterans in the Horse Wisdom for Heroes program with 9 men, who are all delighted to have the opportunity to participate in the program. And we are equally delighted to introduce them to the horses and take them through the program. Our stalwart supporter, Ron Gray, has been moved to another role at The Transition House, and we will sorely miss his wisdom and good humor during our sessions. We wish him the very best in his new role. The “T House” has assigned Sabrina Singleton to the HWfH program and we are impressed with her knowledge and skills; we are looking forward to her support and supporting her through our program. We also want to thank Melissa Lucas and Calvin Bell for the kind and generous support by The Transition House of our program.
Check at the end of the email to find out more about how you can help!
Are you someone who is looking to make a difference in the lives of others and are tickled by the work we do at the ranch? We are looking for board members, sponsors, volunteers, and donors! We are also looking for someone with experience in nonprofit fundraising, so we would truly appreciated any referrals for potential candidates for development professionals.
And if you know of an organization looking for some novel, fun, and highly effective leadership training for their executives or staff, we would be very happy to talk with them. Our nonprofit depends on word of mouth for all of these functions, so please do give a moment or two of thought to who you might know that could be interested in our mission and programs. We are now booking events and programs for the late summer, fall, and even winter months.
If you haven’t been the ranch in the last couple of years, please do reach out and we’ll get a tour on the calendar. Now that kids are out of school, bring them with you for the tour! The horses would be happy to meet you and have you give them a treat!
How can you help?
Everyone has a talent or resource that is valuable. It could be time, money, contacts, or a love of horses. Every little bit helps, and your support can make a big difference in our mission. Here are some easy ways to help:
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Write a Review: Have you taken a program or been to an event at the ranch? Leave us a review on Google or Facebook! It will help our credibility tremendously.
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Volunteer: Your time and skills to help with our horses, facility, or programs. Or are you interested in serving as a board member for our nonprofit? We are still looking!
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Donations: You can make a one-time donation, set up a recurring donation, or donate in-kind gifts, such as treats or equipment that can assist us with our programs and serving our clients. You can donate here!
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Advocate: Spread the word about First Nature and share our mission to equip our community with leadership skills for the 21st century.
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Sponsor a veteran: It takes $500 to sponsor just one veteran for their 6-week Horse Wisdom for Heroes program. We currently serve about two dozen veterans a year, hopefully more! Consider donating and sponsoring a veteran.
Simply reply to this email to get started with one of these items today!
Wishing you a happy summer!
Kerul and Crew
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First Nature Ranch / First Nature Foundation
“Where the past, present, and future of leadership come together for the dignity and benefit of all.”
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