Lou Dillon with volunteer Susan.
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
Hanaeleh is run solely by volunteers. We have several ways you can help with the horses and the facility. Check out the opportunities we have below and let us know what you’re interested in. You do not need to have horse experience in order to volunteer, and we need volunteers to help us with fundraisers as well– any help we can get we appreciate!
We welcome individuals of all ages and abilities to volunteer, although volunteers must be 18 years or older to work with the horses directly.
We are currently scheduling training for new volunteers on Saturdays 8:30 to Noon.
For the safety of all our animals at Hanaeleh, we do not allow pets. Thank you!
Work Days
Workdays are open to the public and are scheduled about every two months.
Children under the age of 16 are welcome as long as they are accompanied by adult supervision. We do not have many projects for children under the age of 10 years old. We suggest groups with younger children schedule a private tour instead. If you’d like to schedule a private tour, please email us at volunteer@hanaeleh.org or call 949-229-1085.
Weekly Horse Care
A great way to help is to work with our horses on a weekly basis. This option is for the individuals who are able to commit to volunteering once per week. We are currently scheduling volunteers for mornings Monday through Saturday, and evenings on Mondays and Wednesdays. Volunteers as young as 16 are welcome as long as they are accompanied by an adult.
Training for new volunteers is held on Saturdays 8:30 to Noon.
Our volunteers learn the ins-and-outs of how the rescue runs. We muck out all of the horse’s stalls, wash and clean their feed bins, salt licks and water containers, and feed the horses. After a volunteer has come out four times, we pair them up with a “buddy” to show how we work with the horses; this way the horses get consistency when they are handled. Please note that volunteers do not ride the horses.
NOTE: Volunteering at Hanaeleh does have physical requirements. Some individuals may not feel comfortable and/or aren’t able to meet the rigors of a ranch where the ground is uneven and is on an incline. Additional requirements to volunteer are:
- Ability to lift 30-40 pounds. (we cart around full muck buckets, hay pellet bags and other heavy items)
- You will be on your feet for four hours. We have chairs and breaks are welcome, but it’s physical work on your feet.
- There is a lot of lifting, bending and carrying involved and if you don’t feel comfortable with this, please consider coming out for a tour or a workday instead of regular weekly horse care.
- We do have a limited number of volunteer spots available for lighter work helping with other chores around the ranch. Please email us for further details.
Click HERE to become a Hanaeleh volunteer!
Community Groups
We do have community groups come to Hanaeleh both for service as well as learning about the horses. We have had Girl and Boy Scouts, U.S. Pony Club, school groups and church groups come out to the ranch. We also have a Reiki group come out to work with the horses.
We usually schedule groups on workdays who are doing service. We encourage groups who would like a tour or to see the horses to schedule a private tour.
We love to have community groups come out, but we do not have many projects for children under the age of 10 years old. We would suggest that groups with younger children schedule a private tour.
If you’d like to schedule a time for your group to come out, please email: volunteer@hanaeleh.org and let us know about your group.
Fundraising
Hanaeleh is in great need of individuals who can help behind the scenes for our fundraisers! We need people to make phone calls, talk with businesses, and who can help coordinate events. For more information on helping in this way, please email: volunteer@hanaeleh.org.
“Wait, I have more questions!”
If you have any other questions about volunteering, please be sure to contact us via email: volunteer@hanaeleh.org or by phone: 949-229-1085. If you have other types of questions, please visit our FAQs page.