Winter Fundraiser and Update

/in /by

Hey there, friends of Haven Acres!

In winter we sometimes start feeling disconnected from the supporters and friends of Haven Acres. Since we have had some unexpected costs arise in the last few weeks, we thought it would be prudent to send out an update and give folks an opportunity to once again partner with us.

As many of you know, Cowboy got very sick and had to be put down last weekend. The cost of this particular incident was about $500. In addition, hay prices for the rest of the winter are going to be higher than usual due to a hay shortage in Minnesota. In the off season, we still have to pay for hoof trims and shoes, medications, spring vaccinations, insurance, and salary for the Assistant Director. To finish out the winter season strong, we are praying for an additional $4,000 to be raised over and above the usual monthly donations we receive. Please prayerfully consider supporting us financially this winter! We are asking for donations to be made by March 9, 2019 through check or PayPal (https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr…). These methods of giving are received by Haven Acres immediately, whereas, if people give through Facebook or another means, the funds do not reach us for weeks. For more information on donating please visit http://havenacresmn.org/donate/.

By way of update…

This spring we will be beginning six weeks of training for all the mentors at Haven Acres. We go over the basics of horsemanship and horse safety, our policies and procedures, and theology. We try to do our very best to train mentors who will be bright lights of God’s truth and grace in these children’s and teens’ lives. We also give the horses “refreshers” in the spring to get them ready for sessions.

Then this summer we will begin our regular mentorship sessions on June 3rd. We will be seeing around 50 children and teens each week free of charge who will get the opportunity to meet with the same mentor and horse weekly all summer. We work on creating a work-ethic through regular ranch chores, building their confidence through interacting with a horse, and gaining a strong sense of support and belonging through a relationship with their mentor. We believe that each participant is incredibly valuable and worth every minute and penny that is volunteered and given.

We are also excited to revamp our STABLE program this summer! Our STABLE program stands for Spiritual Training and Biblical Leadership Enhancement. We spend the summer training older teens and young adults in horsemanship, leadership, and Biblical truth. The goal of this program is to strengthen the ministry through the graduate’s future service at Haven Acres.

Come fall we are excited to begin reaching out into the community more by offering some small group sessions and field trips. We already have an event planned with Minnesota Hands and Voices, a local organization that serves families with deaf children. Additionally, we are hoping to collaborate with some other group homes, schools, and organizations that work with youth in order to expand our outreach.

Thank you so much to everyone who supports Haven Acres through service and donations. This is a big endeavor, to reach into the lives of these kids and teens, and it takes many hands! God is so good to us every year to provide all the people and funds that we need, and we are so grateful for those of you who are willing to be a part of that.

One Amazing Horse

/in /by

Words cannot adequately describe the loss of this amazing gelding! Cowboy was donated to Haven Acres in October of 2013 and has been an invaluable part of our program ever since. We have had many horses come and go, but it is rare that you ever find a horse like Cowboy… a horse that is so responsive, listening to your every cue, so patient, gentle, and respectful, a horse that wants to work each and every time you call on him.

Many of you know that Cowboy had come down with a virus shortly after Christmas, and he had managed to beat that and was finally back out with the herd. When we brought him in for his grain yesterday morning, he seemed fine at first, but when we went back to see if he was finished, we found that he had not eaten his grain and was laying down in his stall looking very uncomfortable. Colic is a dreaded word when it comes to horses. We don’t know what happened or why, but for some reason, he had a bowel blockage or a twisted intestine. The vet was called immediately, and we managed his pain as best as we could. Today, however, he worsened. The difficult decision was made to have the vet put him down since he was in so much distress.

The pain of losing Cowboy is real for so many, but we will hold tightly to the MANY wonderful memories we each have in our hearts. Cowboy, thank you for giving it EVERYTHING you had at Haven Acres! You brightened countless days, and we’ll always be grateful!

Special thanks to Clyde and Sue Johnson for donating this amazing horse to Haven Acres… certainly one of the very best gifts we’ve ever received!

Registration is Open!

/in /by

The Haven Acres registration process is changing this year! This is how it will work… Parents will no longer need to call in to reserve a spot for their child (ren) on a specified date and time. In order to give everyone equal opportunity, please register your child (ren) on the registration page. To qualify, registrants must be ages 9-17 by June 3, 2019. Applications must be received by 11:59pm on April 1, 2019. The following day, we will randomly draw names (keeping families together) to determine which kids will be awarded the 40 available spots in the mentorship program. We will accept an additional 8 participants into the Deaf program. Calling in or registering earlier will not increase your odds of your child being in the program—as long as the applications are received by April 1st then your child will have the same opportunity as everyone else.

That means that registration is now open! Just make sure that you send in an application for your child before April 1st.

For more information please visit the registration page.