Behind the Scenes
It is easy to identify the volunteers at the Ranch, proudly wearing their Red Bucket red as they tend to our horses, yet just as important to the efficiency of the organization is the team working behind the scenes.

Everyone knows it takes a village to save a horse, and with Red Bucket it takes even more. On any given day there are dozens of red shirts scurrying around the Ranch. Dedicated volunteers groom, feed, walk and train our precious horses. But the red shirts you don’t see behind the scenes provide so much of the grease for this wheel that runs so efficiently.

Pam Stocksdale is a proud Red Bucket volunteer who quickly realized that hands-on work at the Ranch was not for her. She found out about Red Bucket last October through a coworker, and was attracted to our organization because she loves animals. She didn’t want to volunteer at a cat or dog shelter because of her fear that she would adopt all of the homeless pets, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to take a horse home with her! But she has always appreciated and loved horses for their grace and beauty.

After Pam went through orientation, she looked for a way to get involved. Pam shares with me, “I was afraid of the horses and it would have taken longer for me to learn to be comfortable around them. I wasn’t sure where I could lend a hand without physical labor being involved, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to contribute at all until an email went out requesting assistance with administrative support. This was perfect for me! I retired in 2011 after working over 38 years in this field, so I started working with Anna Eddy on Smartsheet, and Ellen Neal on entering data into the Red Bucket database. In between this, I was also doing the horses’ laundry on a weekly basis. When Susan Knox contacted me a few months ago and asked if I would be interested in helping her with the Ruby Red fundraiser, I eagerly agreed because I still felt I wasn’t doing enough. So far, I am still helping all three and hope to continue doing so in the future.”

Susan Peirce recalls watching Pam as she washed polo wraps and other horse laundry, and recognizes that every job on the ranch is critically important to the success of the team. “There is a role for volunteers who have limited horse experience and skills. We realize that many of our volunteers have other talents that are just as beneficial to our organization,” Susan explains. “We are growing so quickly and are integrating our volunteers into new areas of service. Pam came to us with absolutely no horse experience and started out by cleaning our polo wraps, not a glamorous job at all! Pam gravitated toward administrative duties and began working with Anna Eddy and Susan Knox. She has a thick skin and has been instrumental in assisting with the organization of our Ruby Red event and coordinated the details involved in our silent auction, no small task as there were about 142 line items! Pam invested a great deal of time by attending planning meetings, inputting data from different people, and developing an accounting system for the inventory. Pam has created an important role for herself and has become an asset to our team.”

Susan Knox, our director of marketing, has this to add, “Pam has been a big help with some of the administrative work for the auction. She was unfamiliar with this type of event but was willing to jump right in and learn what it takes to get the job done. She is very quick to respond to any request I have asked of her and turns the work around immediately. She is always asking questions and makes sure everything is done correctly, often double checking her work AND mine. Pam is invaluable as a Red Bucket team member!”

Also singing praises for Pam is Anna Eddy, our chief volunteer officer. “Pam has been helping me with volunteer administration. Her strong organizational skills save me hours each month coordinating our volunteers. Pam always has a very positive demeanor and a willingness to serve that is in alignment with our Red Bucket culture. She is detail oriented, proactive and flexible which are all skills that help me a great deal in supporting our Red Bucket volunteer activities.”

Although Pam does not interact directly with the horses, she is touched by them just as all Red Bucket volunteers are. “It makes me happy just watching them,” Pam confides. “It is amazing how the dull look in their eyes becomes something bright and hopeful. I love watching them get all excited to be let out into the arena to run and play, just to be the carefree horses they were born to be. They fascinate me, and I want to learn all I can about them. Red Bucket has restored my faith in humanity, knowing that there are people willing to give up their time and money to help these defenseless animals.”

While trying to figure out how she can better serve Red Bucket, Pam continues to do what she can, when she can. In addition to the hundreds of hours spent on administrative duties, she brings goodies and applesauce for the horses whenever possible. And of course she wears her Red Bucket red shirt with pride. In her words, “When representing Red Bucket, I try my best to have an upbeat, positive attitude and to treat all with respect and courtesy. My one hope is that Red Bucket can help to restore faith in man to as many horses as possible.”