Category: Uncategorized

Support HOPE Ranch Foundation While You Shop This Year

Posted on by Sheryl Barlow

Did you know that you can designate HOPE Ranch as your charity when you shop on Amazon this holiday season? It doesn’t cost you a penny and it helps us out so much! It’s called Amazon Smiles and it’s really quite simple.

Here’s how it works: Simply go to smile.amazon.com and designate HOPE Ranch Foundation as your charity. 

What is AmazonSmile?

AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is available at smile.amazon.com on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android phones. When you shop at AmazonSmile, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added benefit that AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to HOPE Ranch Foundation when you designate us as your charity.

How do I shop at AmazonSmile?

To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com on your web browser or activate AmazonSmile on your Amazon Shopping app on your iOS or Android phone (found under settings on your app). On your browser, you may also want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile. When you’re using the app, always check for the “AmazonSmile” logo to ensure you’re activated for AmazonSmile.

Won’t you consider taking this simple step to help HOPE Ranch Foundation? 

Thank you and Happy Holidays!!

Job Posting: Chore Helper Wanted

Posted on by Sheryl Barlow

POSITION: FARM CHORE HELPER

H.O.P.E. Ranch, a psychotherapy practice where animal-assisted and other experiential cognitive-behavioral (CBT) and dialectical (DBT) psychotherapy services are provided in a rural setting, is currently accepting and processing applications for Farm Chore Helper.  

Our beautiful new location 9145 80th Ave SE Chatfield, MN is just minutes south of the Rochester Fleet Farm, just south of the town of Marion.  The four-legged therapy team of 6 horses, 1 dog, and 3 cats are all settled in and need your loving care!

Your Chore Help duties may include cleaning stalls, cleaning and filling water tanks, grooming horses occasionally, and assisting with garden areas, mowing, and fencing and other repairs around the farm. The ability to lift 50 pounds repeatedly is a requirement.  The available shifts at this time are 7 am – 9 am Monday through Saturday and 5 pm – 7 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Each shift is a minimum of 2 hours long. A minimum of 2 shifts per week is required in order to provide consistency and continuity for the horses.

Email to: secretary@hoperanchteam.com
Mail to: H.O.P.E Ranch, 9145 80th Ave SE, Chatfield, MN  55923
Questions? Call 507-281-3033

PAINT FOR HOPE – A Fundraiser

Posted on by Sheryl Barlow

Have fun and support HOPE Ranch Foundation by joining us for PAINT for HOPE.

Attendees will create a painting led by Nicki Novotne, owner of Art On The Go, while receiving self-care exercises and tips to navigate these trying times from Kit Muellner, CEO & Founder of H.O.P.E. Ranch, Clinical Director and Psychotherapist, LICSW – Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and EAGALA Certified Psychotherapist, and Horse Specialist.

We are painting a canvas with beautiful flowers along a wooden fence. Make your favorite spring or fall flowers and make a statement with your favorite saying! Create your own unique painting.
All the art supplies are provided and no experience is necessary. Step by step personal instructions by a local artist are included too!

TITLE:   “Paint for HOPE” Virtual and In-Person Painting Event
DATE:   Sunday, Oct 18th – 2-4:30 pm
COST: $40
LOCATION: In Person at Charlies Pub and Eatery or Online

Support a great cause!
Pay a $10 deposit to save your seat. The balance is due at the start of the event. Cash or check is best.
Charlie’s Pub (Elks Club Bingo Hall) 1654 US-52, Rochester
Mental health in Southeastern Minnesota is more important than ever before in these times. Kit Muellner, owner of HOPE Ranch, provides valuable psychotherapy to clients who, more often than not, need financial assistance to get the help they need. HOPE Ranch provides low-cost animal-assisted psychotherapy. Funds raised will be used for client scholarships and the costs to care for the animals.
Fundraising efforts are needed to provide programming by EAGALA certified practitioners, client scholarships, and to care for animals.
Animal-assisted psychotherapy is provided, in a variety of settings, and may be group-based or individual in nature. The process is documented and evaluated, and the animal is an integral part of the treatment process.
Horse Powered Growth and Learning programs include programs related to students becoming more intrinsically motivated learners. Animal-assisted activities are delivered in a variety of environments by specially trained and certified professionals, working with animals that meet specific criteria.
Programming includes social skills groups for youth; young women’s groups; young men’s groups; family groups; groups for youth and adults with PTSD; parenting groups; and horse-powered learning (tutoring).

Funds raised will also support programs to raise, feed, and care for the animals utilized in the work, including veterinary, farrier, stable, pasture care, and other services necessary to provide for the well-being of the animals. 

Tell others you are going by visiting the Paint for HOPE Facebook event.

Thank you to our Title Sponsor, Home Federal Savings Bank.

Buffy Needs A Home!

Posted on by Sheryl Barlow
This beautiful, sweet kitty needs a home!
Can you help?
Can you share?
 
He wandered on to HOPE Ranch and his temporary name is Buffy. He is vocal, soft, sweet, energetic, loves to be petted, loves to chase toys and play. Buffy is neutered, all shots now up to date, and the vet thinks he is approximately 1 year old. He’s really a wonderful little guy. (Dog not included;)
Send an email to secretary@hoperanchteam.com  or call 507- 281-3033.

Nothing Worked. Then I Found H.O.P.E. – Brianne’s Story

Posted on by Sheryl Barlow

My name is Brianne and I have been coming to H.O.P.E. Ranch since I was 17 years old. I am now 28 and I can honestly say I would not be who or where I am today without Kit, H.O.P.E. Ranch, and all the animals.

I have had depression most of my life and there were many times it was literally debilitating. I could not get out of bed. I was not eating. I was not showering. I was not functioning or participating in my life. I had 5 different psychotherapists before we were referred to H.O.P.E. Ranch. I remember that first session, I felt like I connected with her and the animals immediately. I told her a lot of things I had not told any of my previous therapists. 

I love the animals being available for sessions. I was very connected to their old therapy dog, Honey. I would spend a lot of time on the floor either brushing her, massaging her back, or just petting her – especially if a day was really rough. Being in the fresh air in the country is a huge factor in my self-care. 

When I first came to H.O.P.E. Ranch, a lot of my issues were very big. Kit and I would work through scenarios with the horses and it helped me immensely. I used that information and the coping skills I learned in my everyday life. There is a lot of stigma about mental health and the animals never judge me, I always feel completely accepted there. I never used to tell anybody if anything was bothering me. I used to say, “I’m fine, I’m okay”. Now I am more assertive and can say if something is bothering me or if I need something, I can handle confrontation, I have more confidence in general.

My family including my parents, my younger brother, my husband, and my daughter have all been supportive of me when I have needed a helping hand. Mental health affects more than the person with a diagnosis. It affects those around that person, daily.

I am a much stronger person than I was when I first started coming here. I have had a lot of success talking with Kit and being around all the animals. I will always continue to go there. It helps settle me. I always leave feeling much calmer and stronger.

Would you like to help H.O.P.E Ranch? Consider donating today!

Where There is Despair, There is H.O.P.E.

Posted on by Sheryl Barlow

When families need us, we answer that call. Our current needs are greater than our funding streams. COVID-19 has stretched many of us to our limits. Anxiety, depression, isolation stress is affecting us all. We are here to help you and many others who need support via animal-assisted psychotherapy.

We Need Your Help!
Could you give today? $50, $100, $150 would make a huge difference!!
Our horses need $240 of farrier services to trim hooves every 6 weeks.
We have families who need funding – One family of six needs immediate scholarship funding totaling $1620 for psychotherapy to help them heal from the trauma of losing their home to a fire along with everything else they are dealing with related to COVID-19.

Our Stories are Your Stories
We all share in our mission to promote and heal through partnering with animals for clients of all ages who could benefit from animal-assisted psychological services regardless of their ability to pay. We all can promote healing individually and as a community. The H.O.P.E Ranch Foundation provides in-depth services to support healing on our ranch southeast of Rochester.

Donate Today
Your financial donations are used in many important ways that impact H.O.P.E. Ranch and our clients. Scholarships to clients, underwriting the cost of provided programming, care of the animals, and expansion/maintenance of the facilities are just a few of the ways your donations are put to work.

Please consider using one of 3 easy ways to donate today:

1. Donate online
2. Call the Foundation office at 507-281-3033 to donate by phone
3. Mail a check made out to: H.O.P.E. Ranch Foundation
9145 80th Ave SE, Suite B, Chatfield, MN 55923

Reach out to us directly at 507-281-3033 with any questions.
Please donate TODAY to help fulfill our urgent need to restore community mental health.

Warm Regards,

Cheryl Kliewer
President of H.O.P.E. Ranch Foundation
&
Kit Muellner
CEO & Founder of H.O.P.E. Ranch

NOTHING WORKED.
THEN I FOUND H.O.P.E. 

BRIANNE’S STORY

My name is Brianne and I have been coming to H.O.P.E. Ranch since I was 17 years old. I am now 28 and I can honestly say I would not be who or where I am today without Kit, H.O.P.E. Ranch, and all the animals.

I have had depression most of my life and there were many times it was literally debilitating. I could not get out of bed. I was not eating. I was not showering. I was not functioning or participating in my life. I had 5 different psychotherapists before we were referred to H.O.P.E. Ranch. I remember that first session, I felt like I connected with her and the animals immediately. I told her a lot of things I had not told any of my previous therapists. 

I love the animals being available for sessions. I was very connected to their old therapy dog, Honey. I would spend a lot of time on the floor either brushing her, massaging her back, or just petting her – especially if a day was really rough. Being in the fresh air in the country is a huge factor in my self-care. 

When I first came to H.O.P.E. Ranch, a lot of my issues were very big. Kit and I would work through scenarios with the horses and it helped me immensely. I used that information and the coping skills I learned in my everyday life. There is a lot of stigma about mental health and the animals never judge me, I always feel completely accepted there. I never used to tell anybody if anything was bothering me. I used to say, “I’m fine, I’m okay”. Now I am more assertive and can say if something is bothering me or if I need something, I can handle confrontation, I have more confidence in general.

My family including my parents, my younger brother, my husband, and my daughter have all been supportive of me when I have needed a helping hand. Mental health affects more than the person with a diagnosis. It affects those around that person, daily.

I am a much stronger person than I was when I first started coming here. I have had a lot of success talking with Kit and being around all the animals. I will always continue to go there. It helps settle me. I always leave feeling much calmer and stronger.

Would you like to help H.O.P.E Ranch? Consider donating today!

We Are Still Here and We Need You to Help Us Continue Our Story.

Posted on by Sheryl Barlow
All of us here at the H.O.P.E. Ranch Foundation would like to thank you for being a part of our family.  You are receiving this message because of your close connection to someone that serves on the Board of Directors or has been impacted by H.O.P.E. Ranch.  We all share in our mission to promote and fund the partnering with animals (including but not limited to: equine, dogs, and cats) for clients of all ages who could benefit from animal-assisted psychological services regardless of their ability to pay.

We Need Your Help!

Mental health, also called behavioral health, is one of the lowest reimbursed medical services. Over the past couple of years, reimbursement rates have been decreased. Providers have been told to expect further reduction in reimbursement rates in the coming year or two. The services we provide are essential, even critical. Minnesota has one of the highest suicide rates in the country. Current COVID19 procedures have only exacerbated the problem.

The clients we serve generally have tried more traditional therapy 2 to 5 times, without success, before seeking EAGALA model and animal-assisted therapy. As you can imagine, providing animal-assisted therapy is more expensive than providing traditional in-office therapy. EAGALA model services require both a Mental Health Specialist and an Equine Specialist, in addition to one or more horses. It is getting more and more expensive to feed, care for, and provide veterinary care for the therapy animals. Four other programs in SE MN offering EAGALA model services have had to close their doors. We are determined to keep our doors open. We need your help to do this.

The H.O.P.E Ranch Foundation was formed in 2017 to support H.O.P.E. Ranch. We are reaching out to you with a unique need. We are looking for continued and future support. We have multiple ways for individuals or groups to support the H.O.P.E Ranch Foundation. Some support requests that we have range from your monetary donations to volunteering time to serving on our Board of Directors to helping plan and implement fundraising events.

Your financial donations are used in many important ways that impact H.O.P.E. Ranch as well as the clients who are served here. Scholarships to clients, underwriting the cost of provided programming, care of the animals, and expansion/maintenance of the facilities are just a few of the ways your donations are put to work.

Please consider using one of 3 easy ways to donate:

1. Donate online

2. Call the Foundation office at 507-281-3033 to make a donation by phone

3. Mail a check made out to:  HOPE Ranch Foundation
9145 80th Ave SE, Suite B, Chatfield, MN  55923

If you are unable to contribute financially, please keep this information handy and keep us in mind for future charitable giving.  And, please share this with people you know who may be interested and ask for their support.

Please consider contributing your time volunteering  

1. To serve on our Foundation Board 
2. Planning and implementing fundraising events/activities.  

If you yourself are unable to volunteer, please think about people you know who have a heart for our mission, and skills to contribute, and refer them to us.

Please feel free to reach out to us directly at 507-281-3033 with any questions related to this request. Your support is needed now to help fulfill our urgent need to respond to declining community mental health.

Warm Regards,

Cheryl Kliewer
President of H.O.P.E. Ranch Foundation
&
Kit Muellner
CEO & Founder of H.O.P.E. Ranch

H.O.P.E. Ranch is a Special Place – Lauren’s Story

As a middle schooler with a fresh ADHD diagnosis, I was angry and ready to keep it bottled up for the rest of my life when I found H.O.P.E. Ranch. Therapy has become like taking vitamins for me. It is a supplemental part of my routine that keeps me healthy. Over the years, I have worked through issues and symptoms surrounding ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, Eating Disorders, etc. I have filled a mental toolbox to help manage the inevitable challenges in life. I continue to hone skills I call upon when weighing whether to face & deal with something, put it away for later, or let it go. 

The animals at H.O.P.E. Ranch are wonderful and important. I have cried with cats in my lap. I have laughed walking with dogs. I have stood in silence with horses accepting that it is time for certain things to surface. Watching the way Kit interacts with the animals reassures me, that she will treat me, and everyone, with dignity and respect. 

I came to H.O.P.E. Ranch with ideas of shame and stigma around mental illness. I continue to come to H.O.P.E. Ranch full of love and acceptance for myself as a whole human – a professional, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, dog owner, etc. – on a journey of mental health. The struggle is real, and I keep going. Kit and everyone at H.O.P.E. Ranch play a role in that. 

There is real magic that happens in the presence of all the life at H.O.P.E. Ranch. – Lauren

Meet The New Faces of HOPE Ranch: Allyson Pierce

Posted on by Sheryl Barlow

Name: Allyson Pierce

Role at HOPE RANCH:
Chore Helper and so much more!

When did you start:
August 2019

College:
Bellarmine University

Major:
Psychology

 

Pets:
Cali, an Australian shepherd/hound dog mix

Hobbies:
Reading, Hiking, Kayaking, Refinishing Furniture, and DIY projects around the house!

Favorite movie, book or song:
My favorite movie is Good Will Hunting and my favorite book is Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?

What do you love about HOPE Ranch:

I love that HOPE Ranch offers a holistic approach to mental health and overall well-being, set on a beautiful farm with the sweetest animals around!

 

Tack Sale Going on Now!

Posted on by Sheryl Barlow

The HOPE Ranch Foundation is running a sale of used tack, generously donated to the HOPE Ranch Foundation by the RCTC Equine program. We have western and English saddles, bits, girths, saddle pads, and so much more! Take this opportunity to support a local business and get ready for the upcoming show season and trail riding! The tack will be sold in as-is condition and the proceeds will benefit the foundation.

**COVID-19 NOTE: These items are available for pickup. Our Covid-19 Business Preparedness Plan requires that all staff, clients, and visitors be masked and sanitize hands before or upon entering any building. You can reserve items by emailing allysonp96@gmail.com and we will hold them until you can pick up. If you need more detailed pictures or measurements to make a decision, please feel free to reach out!

Pictures of all of the items with descriptions and prices are available here. If you’re interested in purchasing or have questions about any of the listed items, please contact Christiana at hoperanchmn@gmail.com.

!

Twilight “The Cat” Moves to California

Posted on by Sheryl Barlow

Many of you followed the story of Twilight, the stray cat, who wandered into our lives when she showed up at HOPE Ranch one summer day. We finally found a forever home, for which she is very grateful. Twilight wanted to share the story of how she found her forever home by traveling all the way to California!

Hi! My name is Twilight (Twi to my friends and family). I met Kit on her porch in late June 2019 while Kit was talking with Sharon on the phone that afternoon. I walked right up, introduced myself, and made myself at home. Kit shared my photo with Sharon during that call and we three became instant friends that day. 

Kit gave me some food and I decided to stay. I became a house cat along with her other (indoor) felines and her dog Sadie (Sadie is indoor/outdoor) ☺ . Sadie and I got along well but the kitties didn’t like me much , so I had to live alone in the living room / the upstairs side of the house while all the others had the run of the rest of the space. It was pretty lonely though I had some great views of the birds in the trees from my 2nd story windows and I could see the horses in the barn and the corral as well as everybody coming and going up and down the driveway. 

In August Sharon came to visit and help Kit ‘continue moving in’ and I shared my rooms with her. We got to know each other quite well during those 10 days. Sharon had had a cat (sometimes as many as three) since she was three years old but her last kitty (Tobie) had died in April and Sharon was now cat-less. I tried to make her feel welcome. We had lots of fun together each evening. I especially liked to walk on her when she slept on her side, then I could nuzzle my nose in her ear.  I thought it was a fun game! 

As it came time for Sharon to go home, it was clear that the other kitties were not going to allow me to share the house so I asked Sharon if I could go home with her and be her kitty. 

Kit approved, and with the help of Delta airlines, I got to fly home with Sharon to California. I enjoyed the 2-hour layover in Minneapolis in the frequent flyer lounge and our little private room where Sharon brought me treats from the buffet while I enjoyed the leather chairs. (The chicken wild rice soup was particularly delicious.) All the airline staff was very kind to me. We even got to see photos of their kitties too. Bill met us at San Francisco airport at 2:00 AM (instead of San Jose much earlier, due to weather-related scheduling issues) and drove us to my new home. It was very different but I felt welcome, especially thanks to the sign that greeted me “Welcome to your new home” with a cat face drawn on it and a chocolate KitKat bar laying on the pen ledge. It took us a while to settle in. I stayed inside for a few weeks ‘til I got comfortable with my new surroundings then Sharon got me a beautiful pink collar with my name engraved on a shiny silver tag. That day I ventured out in the backyard  – it was very exciting. I didn’t go far to start but then I got brave and ‘up and over’ the fence I went to the neighbor’s yard. Turns out there were lots of cars going by out at the end of that street and it was kind of scary so I hid under their deck ‘til Sharon came and got me. I really like the Kitty door they put in for me so I can go in and out whenever I want. There’s a lot of water in the backyard so I’m avoiding that (a pool).

That’s how I came to live with Sharon in California. Maybe at a later date, I will share more of my adventures. But for now thanks for listening to my story. 

Love,

Twilight