Volunteer Program FAQ

What is considered seasonal volunteering?

Those individuals who are able to volunteer weekly for three or more consecutive months are considered seasonal volunteers. Irregularities in schedule due to vacations, sickness, etc. are of course excused.

What is considered short-term volunteering?

Volunteers who are unable to commit to weekly volunteer visits are considered short-term. These individuals are able to find time to give at the ranch on an irregular basis, just once for a short time period, or for a short time every year. However much we want to fully include these giving hearts in our program, their opportunities to give are limited due to limits of our volunteer program resources.

When can I volunteer?

Volunteering is limited to open ranch hours. Because the ranch property is not owned by Crystal Peaks, we are careful to ensure the privacy of our hosts by limiting volunteer opportunities to regular ranch hours.

All approved volunteers will be scheduled according to availability and need. Please refer to the information on our Local Volunteer or Visiting Volunteer pages for more information regarding the application and scheduling.

CPYR Hours of Operation for Volunteers

Program Summer Hours: Monday-Thursday 1:00pm-5:30pm (April through mid-November)

Office Summer Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00am-6:00pm

Office Winter Hours: Monday-Wednesday 9:00am-6:00pm

The majority of volunteer opportunites run from April through mid-November, although there are limited opportunites during the winter. Contact our volunteer team for more information.

Can I help exercise your horses?

Thank you for your desire to share your time, horsemanship skills and heartfelt attention with our horses. Currently however, our program is designed to involve children in the direct care, training, and rehabilitation of our equines. Because of this, we have all the assistance we need in regard to daily training, exercising, and grooming of our horses at this time.

Can I work with children and horses?

The opportunity to work with kids and horses in a counselor/riding instructor capacity is reserved for our consistent adult volunteers. We ask that these volunteers first assist the ranch in other ways. This gives them the opportunity to get acquainted with our system and gives us the opportunity to train them in our method of teaching.

A criminal background check will also be completed to ensure the ranch remains a safe place for kids. Volunteers must also complete CPR, First Aid, and HSA certifications before they are able to teach lessons independently.

Why is there so much maintenance work to be done at the ranch?

Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch was built on an abandoned cinder mine. Once a dusty gouge in the side of a hill, it has been undergoing a facelift for years. Because of many years of hard work, the beauty of Crystal Peaks is a ministry all its own. Many visitors ask for nothing more than the chance to sit a while and bask in its peaceful environment. This beautification process still continues today. Consequently, much of the volunteer work available involves improving the appearance of the ranch. Apart from our efforts to make Crystal Peaks a beautiful place, it is a ranch! By definition there is always plenty of work to be done.

Does the ranch offer any financial assistance to volunteers?

At this time, Crystal Peaks does not have the ability to assist volunteers with food, housing, or traveling expenses. However, expenses related to volunteer activities may be tax deductible. Please contact your CPA or consult the IRS for further information.

Can I bring my children when I volunteer?

Of course! Kids are what we are all about. We do not have childcare, however. It is a volunteer’s responsibility to watch their children while they are here, and a close eye is necessary as there are many fun and dangerous things to play with here at the ranch.

Can I volunteer outside of ranch open hours?

Those who volunteer offsite are welcome to do so at their leisure. For the most part, all of our on-site volunteering happens during regular ranch open hours. In some circumstances, we may arrange different hours for established volunteers who have a pre-assigned task.

Where is a good place to stay?

See our lodging suggestions for ideas.

Can we camp on ranch property while we volunteer?

Sorry, though it would be fun! Our insurance dictates that we do not have “campers” on ranch grounds. But if you’re interested in camping out nearby, check out our camping ideas.

Can my youth group volunteer?

At this time, we are unable to facilitate groups of out-of-town volunteers on-site. See our local or visiting volunteer pages for more information.

What if I can’t be there with my child volunteer?

For those children that have been accepted in to our youth volunteer program, as a parent if you feel you will not be able to join them regularly, we can discuss the possibilities of them sharing here independently after they have been to the ranch a few times with you. This gives us the opportunity to evaluate their readiness to work without parental involvement.

Can I email my volunteer application?

First read our local or visiting volunteer pages to see if you are eligible to volunteer. If you are able and would like to email your volunteer application, select the appropriate application from our downloads page. It will be available in both PDF and DOC format. You will need to select DOC format in order to add your entries to the file. You can complete the form in any editor that can convert word format. Please email the attachment as a .doc file or any other common format.