home of "Horses Helping..."

2005 Facts & Figures “I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak…I will watch over. I will feed them in justice.” Ezekiel 34:16 The Year of "The First"! For Refuge Farms, 2005 was a milestone - a year filled with "firsts"! 2005 was the year of the first (and second!) bulb drive, the year of the 1st Annual Walk for Refuge. It was the year of the 1st Annual Summer Social. We held the first Silent Auction in 2005. We hosted the first "Halloween at THE FARM". In 2005, with their support, we held our first Applebee's® breakfast. And we celebrated our first "New Year's Eve at THE FARM". Our regular newspaper column appeared for the first time. And 2005 was the first year of having an Operations Manager and of course, the first year of having this very website. And, for me, a personal first occurred in 2005 - for the first time ever, a kill buyer called me and invited me to come and rescue a horse who was "imploring him to go to Refuge Farms". Financially, 2005 was the year that Refuge Farms first exceeded $21,000 in donations. But likewise, our operating expenses rose for the first time to over $53,000. And, hand-in-hand with those numbers, is our first ever deficit greater than $32,000. The Friends of THE FARM continue to be the primary supporters of our mission for which I am eternally grateful and humbly reminded each day as I feed the herd. We begin 2006 with an Accounts Payable amount of $11,765. We must work hard to get to the "black line" from 2005! Our work is cut out for us. There is still no time to waste and no pennies to squander. Our commitment is still cast in concrete and our mission is still clear. We are a place of healing for horses and Human Beings alike. We operate on the faith that our mission will be rewarded with the supports needed to continue the task. The details follow for your review. See for yourself our hard work and energy. See for yourself our unwavering commitment to the cause. See for yourself how our mission statement lives every single day in the hands of these loyal volunteers and in the eyes of the herd. Thank you all for a glorious year of firsts! The future is exciting and challenging and not to be feared or avoided. As the verse says, "For we walk by Faith, not by sight". So off we go! See you at THE FARM! Sandy Gilbert Executive Director [Photos by D'Angelo] Refuge Farms Overview 2005 Refuge Farms is an IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation which rests completely on the volunteer efforts and donations of The Friends of The Farm for it's existence.   Refuge Farms Donations 2005 Total Donations - $21,787 Friends of THE FARM Donations - $13,056 Each generous donation allows us to continue our mission and be available for Human healing at all levels. This donation amount reflects the contributions from our ever-expanding Friends of THE FARM community. Thank you to each and every one! We humbly accept and graciously appreciate your remembering us throughout the year. 2005 Events - $8,731 (Total) A full array of events was hosted this past year resulting in more guests here at Refuge Farms with more laughs and more hugs than ever before! Our 2005 events included: Cedar Falls Garage Sale - $170 We held a garage sale at our Operations Manager's house in perhaps the coldest, wettest Saturday ever! 2nd Annual Antique and Garage Sale - $446 Held here at THE FARM, this sale is fun-filled and loaded with bargains! Sunday is our Half-Price Day and some of our guests leave with bags filled with treasures! 1st Annual Walk for Refuge - $1780 First we meet at the Handy Andy Park in Spring Valley and then we walk to promote good health and to raise funds for our mission. Well attended this first year, we look forward to expanding the Walk each year in both attendance and attractions! Come and join us! Spring Bulb Drive - $545 Very large and healthy spring bulbs were sold through the fund raising arm of VanBourgondien®, a well known perennial supplier. 1st Annual Summer Social - $279 Homemade pies and bars, ice cream with assorted toppings and whipped toppings...ice tea...root beer floats. All the makings of a lazy afternoon in the shade among friends! This first Summer Social at THE FARM was held on the hottest day in seven (7) years! How appropriate! 4th Annual Open Barn and Auction - $2855 The premier event of the year at Refuge Farms, the Open Barn is a time for celebration, story telling, face painting, free wagon rides for the children, and tons of petting and feeding of our horse ministers. This year we added "In the Yard…" for local vendors to display their crafts and a silent auction was also introduced. The finale is the Jeff Hines live auction which always proves to be exciting and full of great deals! Fall Bulb Drive - $130 Once again utilizing the fund raising division of VanBourgondien®, fall bulbs are offered in order to bring early color to our once spring flower beds. Halloween at THE FARM - $248 Complete with pumpkins for decorating, marshmallows for roasting, and, of course, horses to pet, it was a glorious fall day and well attended by groups from over 60 miles away! All of us were in costume and actually, I didn't really know some of these people until I heard their voices!! Great dress-up, volunteers! Wal-Mart® Days - $474 Refuge Farms is well supported by the Menomonie, WI Wal-Mart® store. For three (3) days during the Christmas shopping season, Refuge Farms set up outside the main entrances and offered our 2006 calendars, 2005 Commemorative Necklace, note cards, and candy bars to those entering the store. We were rained on, snowed on, and frozen! But many new Friends were found and so the effort was well worth our investment of time. Chocolate Bars - $252 One of our loyal Friends of THE FARM offered to support our mission by supplying us with specially wrapped Hershey® chocolate bars for resale. Really, it's not the candy that is the treasure, it's the candy that allows the conversation to start. That's the benefit! Plus, selling chocolate bars is an excellent lesson in will power and discipline! Mr. & Mrs. Claus at THE FARM - $299 This day was our 2nd annual with Mr. & Mrs. Claus and as explained in the blog, we were blessed with the real Mr. & Mrs. Claus! We offer hot chocolate, cookies from Exit 45 Kwik-Trip®, and your picture with Mr. & Mrs. Claus - all for free! Our newest minister, Big Guy, was introduced and truly, the day was remarkable! Applebee's® Breakfast - $1054 I have never worked with a restaurant manager who has such enthusiasm for his community! Jeff, the manager of our Menomonie, WI Applebee's® hosted our first ever breakfast at his restaurant. We served all-you-can-eat pancakes from 8am to 10am plus we had Big Jimmer and our dear DukeDuke in the parking lot for an added attraction! Not only did our guests eat, but we all had a chance to catch up and reconnect - wonderful! Thank you to Jeff and Applebee's®! New Year's Eve at THE FARM - $199 The last Saturday in December of 2005 is always our public day and it just so happened this year that this Saturday was December 31st - New Year's Eve! So, of course, we used it as an opportunity to have a bonfire and more hot chocolate and ginger bread! A great way to celebrate 2005 and welcome 2006! Refuge Farms Expenditures 2005 Total Expenditures - $53,876 Feed - $16,286 This category is comprised of hay, feed, and bedding. Halima, our elderly Arabian mare is fed Equine Senior by Purina® with the entire remainder of the herd on Safe Choice by Nutrena®. We purchase grassy hay in either 1500 lb. round bales or 60 lb. square bales. This year we purchased 230 round bales and 200 square bales of hay. A donation of an additional 18 round bales supplemented our winter supplies - thank you! Veterinary, Farrier, Medicines - $15,556 Isaac Hershberger continues to be my choice to provide our challenging farrier services. Medicines include wormer, vaccinations, feed supplements, and any prescribed meds. Veterinary is planned or, of course, emergency services. Equipment, Building, Grounds - $7,484 Included in this large category is fuel and maintenance for the aged Allis Chalmers® tractor, any stock tanks or tack, barn maintenance and supplies for that maintenance, lawn equipment maintenance and fuel, vehicle and horse trailer maintenance and insurance, electricity, and grounds upkeep. Also included in this category is the creation of any Memory Beds, as needed. Marketing, Inventory, Postage - $5,270 This category continues to grow as Refuge Farms expands it's product line. Included in 2005 is the postage for mailings, any membership fees, product development for items such as our new note cards and 2006 calendar, and all inventory on hand for display or available for resale. Legal and Accounting - $4,561 Any legal fees required by the state or federal governments, any attorney's fees, property taxes, state and federal filing fees, liability insurance, and financial services for end-of-year filings are indicated in this line. Office Supplies - $2,438 Minimal funds are expended on telephone charges and office supplies. Event Expenses - $2,281 This category reflects the expenses incurred in hosting our public events and any volunteer meetings.