Bachelor Creek Ranch
Volunteer Program
Frequently Asked Questions

What is considered seasonal volunteering?
Those individuals who are able to volunteer weekly for three or more consecutive months are considered seasonal volunteers. Irregularities in schedule due to vacations, sickness, etc. are of course excused.

What is considered short-term volunteering?
Volunteers who are unable to commit to weekly volunteer visits are considered short-term. These individuals are able to find time to give at the ranch on an irregular basis, just once for a short time period, or for a short time every year.

When can I volunteer?
Volunteering is limited to open ranch hours. Because the ranch property is not owned by Bachelor Creek, we are careful to ensure the privacy of our hosts by limiting volunteer opportunities to regular ranch hours. All approved volunteers will be scheduled according to availability and need.

BCR Hours of Operation for Volunteers

Ranch School Year Program Hours (April through June & Sept through Oct):
Tues & Fri 4:00pm-5:30pm
Saturday 9:00am-1:30pm

Ranch Summer Program Hours (June through Aug):
Tues-Fri 8:30am-1:30pm
Saturday 8:30am-1:30pm

Ranch Winter Hours (October through April):
By appointment only as weather permits and desire warrants

Can I help exercise your horses?
Thank you for your desire to share your time, horsemanship skills and heartfelt attention with our horses. Our program is designed to involve children in the direct care, training, and rehabilitation of our equines. Currently, however, we are in need of assistance in regard to daily training, exercising, and grooming of our horses, until we are well established. This position is one requiring approval of the directors.

Can I work with children and horses?
The opportunity to work with kids and horses in a counselor/riding instructor capacity is reserved for our consistent adult volunteers. We ask that these volunteers first assist the ranch in other ways. This gives them the opportunity to get acquainted with our system and gives us the opportunity to train them in our method of teaching. A criminal background check may be required to ensure the ranch remains a safe place for kids.

Can I bring my children when I volunteer?
Of course! Kids are what we are all about. We do not have childcare at this time, however. Therefore, it is a volunteer’s responsibility to watch their children while they are here, and a close eye is necessary as there are many fun and dangerous things to play with here at the ranch.

Can I volunteer outside of ranch open hours?
Those who volunteer off site are welcome to do so at their leisure. For the most part, all of our on-site volunteering happens during regular ranch open hours. In some circumstances, we may arrange different hours for established volunteers who have a pre-assigned task.

What if I can't be there with my child volunteer?
For those children that have been accepted in to our Junior Mentor program, as a parent if you feel you will not be able to join them regularly, we can discuss the possibilities of them staying here independently after they have been to the ranch a few times with you. This gives us the opportunity to evaluate their readiness to work without parental involvement.

Volunteer Opportunities

The following is a list of all volunteer opportunities at Bachelor Creek Ranch:

Greeter
Warmly welcomes everyone who walks up our driveway. Will offer direction to newcomers, ensure release forms have been completed, and spend time talking with visitors and participants.

Energy Booster
We are blessed by those who make sure everyone is well fed and watered. This volunteer may simply take water to parched-looking ranch hands or may be a cook who likes to bring tasty treats to feed the kids, volunteers, and staff.

Power House - our "work-horse"
For those who like to get out and get moving, the ranch is always full of muscle-building jobs. Work may include bucking hay, building/fixing fences, repairing buildings, pruning trees, moving rocks, spreading wood shavings, etc.

Play Pal - encourages kids to be kids
There is never a shortage of kids on the ranch, and this playful volunteer will serve by simply playing with them! Catching bugs, playing on the swings, games on the lawn or even coming up with his/her owns games.

Prayer Team
If there is one thing we have learned over the years, it is that prayer makes things happen.

Listener - keeps ears open to our many ranch visitors
This person is open and sensitive to intentionally seeking out those who really need to talk. Sometimes it is the simplest things that make the biggest difference in someone's life.

Fund Raiser
This volunteer may be mostly active away from the ranch.

Trucker
Brings children to the ranch who would otherwise have no way to get here.

Green Thumb
Uses skills to maintain ranch plants keeping them in top shape. This job could include tree pruning, weeding, weedwacking, mowing, flower planting, watering, dead heading, bug spraying, etc.

Memory Maker
Captures memories of ranch activities through film. This person may simply use their eye to capture still pictures for use in ranch publications or even put together a yearbook of pictures he/she has taken. If you love photography and/or scrapbooking, but have run out of subjects, the ranch may be a good place for some fresh inspiration.

Hay Team
Helps us get hay into our barns. This volunteer is willing to be called on short notice to come and help us get hay.

Professional Assistance
Often the ranch is in need of the special skills a professional brings. BCR has a general list of needed professional skill sets we could easily utilize. Please contact us if you are a professional and would like to help the ranch out.