Mission: Helping People with Life Challenges Through Outreach and Interactions with Animals and Nature

ABOUT US

Our Mission

To help people with life challenges through outreach and interactions with animals and nature.

This includes giving backpacks stocked with toiletries and street supplies to men and women who are homeless, and referring them to services that will help them become housed. We also offer job training, organic gardening, therapeutic riding, and equine assisted learning to people with life challenges. Some of our participants in these programs are people who are homeless or are recently housed or in danger of losing housing, and many are veterans.

People

Colby’s Army encourages every person to respect others, no matter what their color, shape, size, age, what they look like, or what their life circumstances are. Every person deserves respect unless they act in a manner that is undeserving of it.

 We also love paying good deeds forward. Acknowledge the nice things others do for you, and then go do nice things for others, as long as it doesn’t put you in danger. We are all a community here on Earth, a family. Sometimes the smallest bit of assistance can make the biggest difference.

Specifically, here at Colby’s Army we deliver backpacks stocked with toiletries and other necessities to men and women who are homeless. We offer links for resources for friends and family of those who are experiencing life challenges. And, we offer equine facilitated learning and job training for those with life challenges and special needs, along with education about nature and animal welfare. We also have an organic gardening program that feeds our homeless.

 Our learning center offers job training and internship opportunities for those with life challenges and special needs. Areas of interest cover animal welfare, the environment, nature, sustainable living, organic gardening, trail management; and office, farm, and stable management.
 
In addition, we offer classes that empower people and teach basic life skills. Many volunteer opportunities are also available.


Environment
We teach people how to leave the Earth in better shape than they found it. We encourage people to clean up after themselves, avoid littering, conserve resources, and only use what is needed. Additionally, we help people and organizations whose goals are to conserve the Earth’s natural resources. Our volunteers go into schools and businesses to teach people how they can make specific small changes that will have lasting positive environmental impact. Our organic garden, hiking and riding trails, and year-roud creek offer hands-on opportunities to learn from the land.

The physical layout of our learning center is a work in progress, but has many recycled, reclaimed, up-cycled and sustainable features. Our acres of trees educate and provide shade, and our organic garden  provides teaching and volunteer opportunities. Every area of our learning center, from the bedding in the horse’s stalls to the paper towel holders in our bathrooms put forth the best interests of our environment.


Animal Care and Welfare
We love giving people educational resources for pet and animal care. Our goal is to teach everyone to be kind to animals. Animals are living beings who are here to help us, and they deserve your love, and the home page of our website offers a legal pet directive. This is a legal document that directs the care of your pet, either temporarily or permanently, if you become unable to care for him or her yourself.

Our volunteers educate children about the needs of our animal friends, and our therapy horses, cats, and (soon) chickens provide learning opportunities for those with life challenges and special needs.

Summary
We at Colby’s Army care about all living things. Truly care. If you care, too, you can become a soldier in our “army.”  In Colby’s words, individually and together we will “affect positive change.” And together, we will change the world.