After a short hiatus to support the July move in, and the August Benefit show…Volunteer of the Month returns in style. Please join me in congratulating the September Volunteer of the Month, Sherry Leake.

Sherry is a hard working and dedicated SAFE volunteer who does farm chores on Saturdays and fills in other times when help is needed. She was a tremendous help during the move to SAFE Harbor, where she donated not only her time but her work van to haul an enormous quantity of dirty, stinky horse blankets. It was truly above and beyond!

Sherry is also a Herd Member, supporting SAFE’s mission with a monthly donation in addition to her service. Sherry is a valued member of our Volunteer Team and I would like to express my sincere appreciation for her hard work over the last year (happy anniversary, Sherry!)

Here is more about Sherry in her own words…

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I love raising my daughter. I feel like the luckiest mom ever. I stay busy teaching high school math, running my daughter around to dance lessons, Chinese lessons, and yes, horse-back riding lessons. We even get to ride together on occasions at Hospitality Too. I had horses when I was younger and have really enjoyed getting more involved with their care again at SAFE. My husband isn’t a “horse person” but he tells me that he enjoys the peace and quiet while Lucy and I are running around taking care of horses

What made you decide to volunteer with SAFE?
Annie and her survival story brought me to SAFE. When I read her story on the SAFE website and looked at the “before & after” photos I just had to meet this amazing mare and the people who rescued her. I was very impressed with how the SAFE organization ran their rescue and I immediately wanted to do something to help; so I started volunteering to do chores.

Who is your favorite SAFE horse?
It is really hard for me to pick a favorite horse because I have a great deal of respect for all of them. I’m amazed how these animals come to trust humans again after so many of them have been neglected and/or abused. I will say that Annie will always have a special place in my heart; but so does Mr. Pibb, Bucky B’ Lucky and Aiden. I really cannot imagine a sweeter horse than Aiden. I just love him!

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself or your experience with SAFE?
Doing chores at SAFE can be hard work at times, yet no matter how hard the work is or how yucky the weather may be I always feel energized after spending time with these horses. The work that SAFE does is so important because the horses they help deserve this second chance. There are not enough good words in the glossary to describe SAFE. I also get tons of giggles just by watching these horses. One of my favorite memories is when Bucky B Lucky “raced” Aiden in the pasture. It was really quite hilarious watching a race horse beat Aiden “by a nose”. Lucky liked to entertain himself while Aiden was always a good sport!