Applegater Fall 2012 11
Sanctuary One:
A volunteer’s story
bY DELLA mERRiLL
Sanctuary One is a care farm in the
Applegate Valley. We now care for more
than 100 farm and domestic animals.
We also have gardens to tend, pastures to
irrigate, and all the other responsibilities
that go into caring for a 55-acre farm.
How do we do this with a staff of just four?
Hundreds and hundreds of volunteer
hours make this project successful.
Without their help, dedication and
support, we could not possibly do what
we do. I asked one of our volunteers,
Debra, what inspires her to help, to drive
an hour each way, every week, to volunteer
at Sanctuary One. Below is her story.
Debra’s story
I believe in the interconnectedness of
all things. Volunteering at Sanctuary One
is one place that I can see this working out
in a very real, tangible way. Connecting
with animals, the earth and other humans
to create a healing space is one of the most
profound experiences I’ve been witness
to. Healing and transformation happens
all the time there.
I started volunteering after I had a
severe relapse with a health condition and
being around people was too draining for
me. I was in a very discouraged place. I
didn’t have a lot of energy, but I felt that
by working with animals, I might be able
to speed up my own healing, as well as
help others in some small way.
One of my goals was to work with
the sanctuary horses, since I’ve never
had much exposure to them except for
occasional horseback rides. I wanted to
learn about who they really are, find out
how to communicate with them, develop
a relationship with them, and to get over
my fear of being in their presence. I also
thought this might help me get over some
of the fears I was experiencing regarding
my own illness.
I have benefited greatly from this
opportunity. My physical health is much
stronger, and I feel I can still contribute
to the world. The silence of nature,
punctuated by the various sounds and
antics of the animals, has been very
healing. Seeing abused or injured animals
begin to relax, learn to trust, and play
again with the love and gentle care of
others is beyond words.
Every time I go to Sanctuary One,
some wonderful little miracle happens.
One of my favorite moments was when
I went to the big pasture to find one of
the mares, Crissy, to groom her. Instead,
Calli, who I had only worked with
once before and who was usually quite
standoffish, came right up to me, allowed
me to halter her, groom her, and play a few
natural horsemanship games. I then took
the halter off, and instead of Calli romping
off to find her horse buddy Rogue, she
stayed right next to me and followed me
around the pasture for a good while. For
some reason, Calli and I bonded for those
moments, and I will never forget it.
We currently have two full-time
volunteer internships opening up in the
fall. We also have an ongoing need for
volunteers willing to help out once a week
or more. Please call general manager Della
Merrill at 541-899-8627 or email info@
sanctuaryone.org if you are interested and/
or would like more information.
Della Merrill
541-899-8627
General Manager
Sanctuary One
info@sanctuaryone.org
Sanctuary One volunteers bathing Junior (photo, top right), exercising dogs (photo, middle
right), and planting raspberries (photo, bottom right).
Advertisers ~ Contact:
Sally Buttshaw • 541-646-8418
sallybuttshaw@ymail.com
