A Summer of Giving

Summer is here with all of its heat and beauty.  It’s a wonderful time when trees have fully shown their leaves, all of our visiting birds are nested in, and the lighting bugs light up the night.  It’s a time for peak growth in the natural world. 

Here at Blended Spirits Ranch, we are experiencing growth as well.  Growth doesn’t come without some challenges, however.  As many of you are aware, funding has been challenging for many non-profit organizations as of late. We at Blended Spirits are not immune.

It takes a lot of money to care for our herd of wonderful horses.  These amazing and caring animals are the backbone of our mission at Blended Spirits. Annually our herd requires: 2,300 square bales of hay (~80,000 lbs.), ~18,900 pounds of round baled hay, and about 7,500 pounds of grain, alfalfa, and supplements.  And then there are always veterinarian bills. The overhead expenses that are required to run a professional mental health non-profit organization are manifold as well.  From various insurance policies to carry, to facilities upkeep, there is no shortage of bills to pay.  It is all so very worth it though!

In the past we have had a full summer schedule of offering group services to various organizations.  Unfortunately, these organizations have felt the funding crunch as well and are not able to come to Blended Spirits this year to receive services.  This season we have experienced losses in revenue due to funding restrictions placed on some of theses organizations that we annually serve and feed costs have increased as well as other expenses related to the operation of Blended Spirits.

Despite these challenges, we are growing and adapting. We are having increased demand for individual therapy, we are also growing our program areas to include a focus on Postpartum Counseling, providing Equine-Assisted Learning opportunities to area school districts, and we will be adding a group focused on serving our First Responders.

Given the above, we are launching a summer fundraising campaign at Blended Spirits Ranch!  We are endeavoring to raise $40,000 by October 1, 2025.  That’s a big number, but it is a quite critical need!  These funds will be necessary to continue our mission of serving those in our community who are struggling or have experienced trauma.

Over the past 18 years many lives have been changed, and especially…saved.  The critical work of mental health counseling, life skills development, and horse rescue that we do here at Blended Spirits Ranch is not possible without generous supporters, like you.

To our current supporters, we thank you for your faithful giving over the years and we ask that you consider giving above and beyond this year.  To those of you who may not have supported us financially in the past, we ask that you consider doing so this year.  Financial challenges are felt by all in our community, but we are confident and faithful that we can come together to carry on the critical mission of Blended Spirits Ranch Equine-Assisted Therapy Center and reach our goal of $40,000. 

Keep an eye on our website, Facebook, and Instagram pages as we add events and opportunities to give.  Two such opportunities that are forthcoming are Erie Gives on August 12, 2025, and new this year, Crawford Gives on August 12-15, 2025.  These two giving events are great ways to maximize your donations as both Erie and Crawford Gives matches donations to a specified percentage based on the amount donated and number of donors.

 We also invite you to consider committing to pledging monthly financial support. Our programming slows in the winter months, which means reduced revenue-yet this is exactly when our horses consume the most hay and feed. A steady, reliable base of monthly support would provide much-needed financial stability and peace of mind.

We have many other giving and serving opportunities in the works.  Stay tuned!

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to thank you for your support, belief in our mission, and love for our herd.

By Providence,

Tim

Timothy R. Ackerman

Executive Director-Blended Spirits Ranch

"Where Healing Miracles Happen"