Community Service at Affinity Ranch

Affinity Ranch is happy to help folks needing to fulfill either school required community service or court ordered community service, but there are some restrictions.

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We have rules in place to protect both our animals and our clients including:

• You will go through the regular volunteer process including a background check (if you are over 18 at a cost of $20) and you must attend orientation (orientation time - usually 45 minutes to an hour) will count as community service hours.

• Background check must be clear of any charges like abuse, violence, or destruction of property.

• You must sign our waiver and follow all rules.

• All your hours must be completed during scheduled volunteer shifts with staff on-site. You cannot volunteer to work when staff is not available.

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Some things to consider: 

• How many hours and how much time do you have to get them done? If you need 40 hours by the end of the week, that is not going to happen at the ranch. Plan ahead!

• If you have any special skills—especially in the trades—and you're open to using them to help out around the ranch during your community service hours, please let our volunteer coordinator know when you get in touch. She’ll check to see if those skills match any of our current needs.

• Many of our volunteer jobs for community service are manual labor around the ranch.  We seldom have office jobs. Depending on your experience, you may get to work with the animals, but this is not guaranteed.

• Normal hours around the ranch start early for barn chores around 6am, but most jobs are wrapped up by 6:30pm if working with clients.   Weekends will only have barn chore type openings - mucking stalls, filling hay nets, checking water, etc. - for about 4 hours / day total - with only two volunteers needed.

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If you are interested:

• Go to the Become a Volunteer page and complete the Volunteer Registration form (if you are under 18 your parent/guardian must sign off on the waiver)

• Sign up for Orientation.

• Email any paperwork you will need completed by our Volunteer Coordinator (Lindsey) to Volunteer@AffinityRanch.org or bring it to orientation.

• After orientation, we will set you up with a WRANGLR profile where you can signup for shifts - make sure to sign in and out at our check-in computer each time you are on the ranch so we can track your hours.

• At any time, you can have any of the front office personnel check your hours, just ask.

• When you have completed your hours, contact Lindsey at Volunteer@AffinityRanch.org to schedule a time to complete your paperwork - if you know you will finish your hours on day X and want to do the paperwork then, schedule in advance with Lindsey so she can make sure someone who is authorized to sign is available. If you do not schedule a time, you can check if anyone is available, but you may have to come back on a different day if it wasn't scheduled.​​