The SAFE Board of Directors has selected the 2012 Volunteer of the Year. Please join us in extending our congratulations to this year’s recipient, Chelsey Braswell!!!

Chelsey has been a volunteer with SAFE for over 2 years. During that time, she has filled many roles to benefit the SAFE horses. She started where everyone starts, as a Farm Chore volunteer. Her reliability and dedication quickly earned her a promotion to AM & PM Feeder. She continued to be extremely hard working and frequently took on extra shifts to help fill holes in the schedule. She’s attended nearly all of the special events and fundraisers, sometimes even taking days off from work to make sure she could be there!

Chelsey & Summer at the 2011 SAFE Show

Chelsey has always cared deeply for the SAFE horses and shared special bonds with many of them. She is an excellent photographer, taking beautiful shots of the horses and the farm during those early morning feeding shifts. You can really see how much she cares about the horses in those pictures.

Last spring, Chelsey was a valuable member of the transition to our new home. She helped transport SAFE’s belongings on move-in day and worked hard to help set up the barn for the arrival of the horses. In August, Chelsey stepped up at the last minute to fill in at the SAFE show, taking SAFE horse Kat in many classes and bringing home several ribbons. Since the show, Chelsey has continued in a volunteer rider role. It is this willingness to contribute in whatever way is needed that makes Chelsey such a cherished volunteer.

Recently, Chelsey stepped into a larger role with SAFE. She is currently volunteering as the Assistant Herd Health Coordinator. She assists with scheduling vet appointments, handling the horses during the appointments, and keeping up with the recordkeeping necessary for each horse’s health record to be up to date. She also has the fun (messy!) task of administering wormers to the herd.

When she is not at SAFE Harbor, Chelsey holds a full time job at Carter Subaru. She is also a fantastic mom to several much loved pets including her recently rescued dogs, Ruby and Xander. Thank you Chelsey for being an incredibly dedicated volunteer and friend to the horses of SAFE. You truly have made a difference in their lives and everyone at SAFE would like to express their appreciation. Congratulations, Chelsey!!!