MARYSVILLE — Over the past three years, Sharon Peck, outreach coordinator for the All-Breed Equine Rez-Q, has seen its fences go from worn and falling down to white and repaired, thanks to the United Way of Snohomish County’s annual Day of Caring.
“We have just enough people of our own to make sure the animals are fed, watered, groomed and kept safe, although we could always use more,” Peck said, as 30 volunteers completed long-overdue acts of maintenance Sept. 11-12.
“But like any farm or household, we have a pretty long to-do list,” she added. “We’ve had to put off a lot of those things, whether it’s trimming the growing weeds, taking care of peeling paint or even putting in new fencing, simply because we don’t have enough folks to do them.”
Peck touted the value of the cleanup and repair of the property in how much more hospitable it makes the horse rescue, for both horses and human visitors.
“By making it more beautiful, we make it more friendly,” Peck said. “The first year they started on that fence, we had people come by and say, ‘Hey, this place looks great. What’s the difference?'”
Bunny Walters, early learning manager for the United Way, pointed out the difference between learning about the county’s non-profit organizations on paper, versus seeing them work firsthand.
“Our volunteers get to work with these groups, in a really hands-on way, and witness the difference that they make,” Walters said. “You can see the needs here just by visiting. These horses wouldn’t have homes without this group. And at the end of the day, everyone is always smiling.”
For details, visit www.allbreedhorserescue.com.
