Driving Force

I recently started following a horse rescue based out of northern California. They are amazing. Amazing isn't even the right word for it. Super Crazy Awesome Amazing. They are insane. I don't know of any other rescue that is that active and has that much of a turnover rate in adoptions so that they can maintain the numbers and not have their adoptable numbers creep up.


They posted the other day what makes up their organization. It was an amazing list of divisions in their organization and the people within each of those divisions. I had to laugh though when I read it. No wonder they are such an amazing organization helping so many. And it sounds like it's happened within the last year that they've become this super fluid and functioning rescue where before they didn't have such a high turnover rate.


What I wanted to point out was, how insanely crazy they are (in a good way...total props to them!) But they have a wide range of people in charge of each area and volunteers out the wazoo. Totally a good thing.


Then I started thinking about our little Sanctuary. Umm, yeah. **I** am the Sanctuary. I'm not bragging in the least. That wasn't meant to be a brag. But I am the founder, coordinator of everything, the caretaker of everyone. It's exhausting. We don't have divisions run by specific people to oversee the other volunteers. I'm it.


I am the caretaker of all the Sanctuary horses (of course there's only 13 in the Sanctuary...not 70 like this organization I'm talking about). I do feed twice a day but it doesn't take nearly as long. I am the web master, the social media content person, I'm the volunteer coordinator (although we don't have any volunteers), I am the fundraiser organizer, I am the marketing person (and failing miserably), I'm the book keeper (and although not failing, numbers aren't my thing), I am the grounds keeper, the hay buyer, I am the auction team (if we ever go back to auctions again), I'm it.


Now don't get me wrong. I do get help when we put on a fundraiser, and I do get help when we need to work on stuff around the place. But any fundraisers, have to be driven by me. Any maintenance stuff has to be driven by me. I'm the driving force behind the Sanctuary and what gets done, gets done because of me.


So now that my time is split amongst the paying job (which is what funds the Sanctuary...and don't think that I make a ton of money, I am simply frugal with everything...to the point of being down right cheap!), my children and spending quality family time (including extended family and the obligatory family time required of the extended family), and caring for the horses themselves, there's very little time for anything else. I've been so busy working "in" the sanctuary, rather than "on" the sanctuary, that I'm struggling now to find the time. The last two nights I had meant to get some important paperwork done...


it. did. not. happen.


In fact, I fell asleep. I sometimes feel like I'm burning the candle at both ends. When I'm focused and actually work on the Sanctuary stuff after the paying job is done, the kids are asleep, and I've done chores (in the dark), I feel productive but I'm burned out by the end of the week. I'm just not sure how to juggle everything and make everything a success.


So, I guess I don't really know what I'm saying other than...to be a successful sanctuary, where we can take in more senior equines and host most fundraisers and be more visible, I am going to have to rely on others to be successful. The need is obviously out there for a sanctuary for old horses. It's not even a requirement to have to live near the Sanctuary to help out. Heck, at this point, I'd be happy with someone giving me moral support to keep me going whenever I start to waver. But that's not true, you all are my moral support and when I need it the most, you guys do come through for me. But any help (near or far) is greatly appreciated.