About Volunteering
Becoming part of our Personal Ponies family requires a commitment to excellence. We look for people who care about where, how and by whom these little U.K.. Shetlands are bred and raised; we look for people who understand that community service is an important part of being human and know that their lives will be enriched by doing so. The guiding principles of our program can be found in our Commandments of Leadership (can be found under About Us / Core Values tab) .
To those who choose to join our family, you can be assured that we will assist you in every way we can. We want you to be pleased and proud to be part of this important work so that you will tell others about us. Unlike a commercial enterprise, we cannot grow simply by producing more products. Instead, the growth of Personal Ponies as an organization depends entirely on the willingness of people who are committed to helping others breed, raise, promote, train, foster, transport, conduct the business of these little ponies and so much more. And most importantly, we are expected to love and protect our special ponies..
We are TRULY a volunteer organization!
Personal Ponies is truly an all volunteer organization. Not only is NO ONE paid for the work they do, but our Volunteer Breeders, Trainers, Foster Homes and Sponsors all assume financial responsibility for the ponies assigned to them! Without their generous spirits and work, Personal Ponies could not exist!
Our society puts a lot of pressure on many of us for our time. We can become overwhelmed by the demands of family, careers and finances. This often leaves us too tired to consider taking on yet another project or feeling that there is no time left in our lives for volunteer work. When asked to help, we say things like "when I retire" or "when the kids are older" or...or... But the fact is that volunteers are always needed. Your children will admire you for giving to your community and they can learn how important volunteering can be. Volunteering will re-energize you and fill you with a sense of fulfillment. And we promise you will have fun doing it with ponies! Rather than being a burden, you will discover the magic that our ponies can bring about in your own life!
Volunteer Opportunities
There are many ways to get involved in our organization both at a local and national level. The list below gives you an idea of some of the volunteer positions and activities within our program. We would welcome a call from you to discuss any of them.State Co-ordinators handle all activities and inquiries within a state. This includes insuring all leases are on record and all caregivers/centers turn in the annual health reports. They (like most of our volunteers) may play a dual role, perhaps also maintaining their own program, serving as a breeder, or hosting visiting children. It is not required for the State Co-ordinator to have ponies in their care. They can be interested in promoting the program and helping “manage” the state’s growth.
Community Co-ordinators As placements in the state increase, it may make sense to have a community co-ordinator to help the State Co-ordinator. Or a community person may live in a different part of the state and could handle inquiries and Centers in their area. It will be up to the State Co-ordinator to make this determination and based on an individual who is interested.
Regional Directors Personal Ponies has divided the country into 3 Regions with a Regional Director assigned to each. Their responsibilities are to answer inquiries and manage activities in States without a State Co-ordinator and coordinate ponies among their states. They communicate regularly with the National office in arranging to bring ponies into their states to fill applications.
Volunteer Breeders Our Breeding Program is the foundation that allows us to provide our unique ponies. While most of our breeding is done at the several national breeding centers around the country, there is occasionally an opportunity or need to set up a smaller "satellite" center. This might occur due to the need to offer ponies in a specific part of the country to reduce transport costs, etc. Discussions on setting these up occur between the Region Director and the National Director. The National Director will have the final call based on national needs.Expenses incurred by the volunteer breeder may be deducted with proper reporting and receipts.
Volunteer Foster Home Occasionally we need short term housing and care for our ponies until they are placed. A foster home would be folks who have the facilities and the time to be able to care for our little guys during that time. All expenses incurred may be deducted as donations to Personal Ponies with proper reporting and receipts.
Volunteer Trainers While much of the training of our young ponies will be done at the breeding centers,often we have a need for ponies to get "re-fresher" training before a new assignment or a young pair of ponies are ready to be taken to the next step in their training and preparation for service. Teens with experience in 4-H or Pony club can benefit immensely by bringing along a young pair of ponies and preparing them for placement in a therapeutic center. These folks give their time and experience at no charge, but all expenses may be deducted.
Volunteer Retirement Homes Many of our ponies have made it clear they have no intention of retiring and, indeed, prefer to continue their work until they cross over the rainbow bridge. However, sometimes a pony has served well and due to any number of reasons, we feel they have earned a retirement of leisure. We love to place them in loving, forever homes to enjoy the rest of their lives as companion ponies, lawn cutters,and many still enjoy the occasional community event, parade or visits from children. Expenses related to giving our ponies a forever retirement home can also be deducted.
Volunteer Transporters Transportation is the responsibility of the center or individual receiving our ponies. We have tried to help by setting up a transport network we call T.R.O.L.L.S. - Transport Relay of Lovable Little Shetlands. It is a volunteer network to move ponies across states. We need volunteers to sign up for being willing to pick up & drop off a pony for a leg of a trip. To volunteer go to the TROLL Facebook page to contact our TROLL coordinator.
As you can see there are many ways you can help Personal Ponies. We would welcome your inquiries on how you might join us in our mission of providing our special little troll ponies to serve in the community.
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world”- Anne Frank
PERSONAL PONIES, LTD. (New Hampshire)
Personal Ponies is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the belief that the life of a child with disabilities can be immeasurably enriched by having a small pony to love and care for.Gail Schumann, State Director
37 Old Acworth Stage Road
Charlestown, NH 03603
Phone: 603-826-3904
Email: minis2@myfairpoint.net
National Web Site: www.personalponies.org
New Hampshire Director: Gail Schumman