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.
May 2023
First Nature Notes: Teens of the Future
Dear Friends of First Nature Foundation,
Everyone likes to complain about the weather, and we are no exception! Last month’s rain was short-lived, and since then it’s been dry, dry, dry. The pastures that greened up nicely from last month’s rain have gone yellow and crispy, and there are wide swaths of open ground with just a few weeds. While they’re forecasting a lot of rain for this week, we’ll believe it when we see it! (Though as of this edit, we’ve had one beautiful afternoon deluge!) But we certainly are praying for some good precipitation to continue for our pastures and the horses' grazing needs. We are keeping our gardens watered but we do not have irrigation for our pastures…perhaps something to think about for the future.
We did get all of our new shelters fitted in new interlocking mats, and are almost done replacing old ones with new ones in our feeding/grooming stalls. The last step of that project is to use all the old mats to prevent some serious further erosion that’s been happening in some of the more heavily-trafficked areas on the property. We are always trying to make improvements at the ranch so that it stays a first class facility!
All of our participants in the first 2023 cohort of veterans in the Horse Wisdom for Heroes program graduated and got their certificates at the beginning of the month. It was a great day, though bittersweet to part with them. Then the ranch became youth central for a week. First in the Pathways to Hope program put on by Help Now of Osceola we saw a small group of kids take beautifully to working with the horses and sharing amongst themselves. The program from Rebuild Yourself involved a couple dozen teens who participated in a rotation style program, including sharing about their hopes for the future and working in teams to lead the horses through and obstacle course and then a relay. Truly, both programs were fantastic and the kids had a blast. As did we!
Check at the end of the email to find out more about how you can help!
Riding lessons at the ranch continue for both adults and kids. Private, semi-private, or group lessons are available via a waiting list, so let us know if you want us to add you, too! These lessons are designed to not only teach riding, but also how the lessons learned in partnering with a horse through riding have wide applications in other areas of life.
The Foundation has been on the lookout for new local board members to widen our community engagement and help us bring in new clients. So we are very happy to take this opportunity to introduce our newest board member, Lisandra Gonzales, whom we are excited about bringing on.
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Lisandra Gonzalez is the Financial Controller for The Transition House. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Everett University and holds professional industry certifications from the Construction Financial Management Association. She has over fifteen years of experience in the behavioral health, manufacturing, distribution, construction, engineering, education, and hotel industries. She finds her position highly rewarding as it combines her love of accounting and analytical and organizational expertise with her passionate commitment to supporting the progress of clients.
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Her personal interests are enjoying outdoor activities with her family, and volunteering at her church and at The Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida.
Everyone who visits the ranch comments on how beautiful and peaceful it is. That is something incredibly precious to us, and we try our hardest to keep it a well-kept and serene place. Visitors also mention how sweet and calm our horses are, too. When we offer programs, the participants are happily surprised at how our horses can help them improve their leadership skills, how they so naturally guide us to step up our self-awareness, our communication, and our teamwork.
We are coming into the summer season, with school ending this week, but we are still offering tours of the facility and booking events and programs for the summer, fall, and even winter months. Come visit and check it out. Tours are the best way to understand our nonprofit’s mission and vision, so please reach out to schedule one. Feel free to share my information with those you think might be interested: kerul@firstnaturefoundation.org or message me on social media to set up a time.
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:
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!
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!
Advocate: Spread the word about First Nature and share our mission to equip our community with leadership skills for the 21st century.
Sponsor a veteran: It takes $650 to sponsor just 1 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.
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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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