Volunteer of the Month: Kathy Mulsteff
Meet Kathy Mulsteff….one of our many treasured volunteers: As Kathy always says, “things happen for a reason!” Kathy and her husband were out to dinner with friends around the holidays. Somehow, they got to discussing the fact that she was looking for some volunteer work to keep busy now that her children were off to college. She mentioned to her dinner guests that her two favorite things were children and horses and how she was looking for something in either one of those fields. Her dinner guests eyes lit up as she shared that she had a friend who started Wings of Hope Ranch in Hanover. She explained to Kathy a little about the organization and suggested she look into it. When Kathy got home, she looked us up online, sent in her volunteer application and the rest was in God’s hands!
Kathy has been volunteering at the ranch since March
2010 and has had a positive impact with numerous children and their families.
Kathy relays the following about her experiences at the ranch… I absolutely
love volunteering at the ranch. 
The
children, horses, other volunteers and parents are wonderful! As my husband
said, if I could make money volunteering there, I would certainly leave his
business and do that full-time! I don’t have just one single favorite part
of the ranch, unless you could call “the self reward” that I feel every time
I leave, my favorite part (not to sound selfish)! My first experience with
volunteering was to shadow someone else to see how the sessions were done.
The first child we had together was a young girl with Autism who barely stayed
10 minutes and barely touched the horse. Since then, that child and I have
worked together for three seasons. Now, when she comes, she gets so excited
to see the horse and we go straight up to the ring to ride! She may not even
need a side walker this fall! To have a child progress from such a starting
place, to where she is now, (laughing when she is trotting, smiling practically
the whole time she is riding and developing a connection with the horse) is
so amazing. I worked with another child this spring who was petrified of animals,
let alone a large horse. He went the entire season building up his courage
to actually ride. The last session of the spring of 2011, he was up and riding
and realized he actually loved it. It is truly amazing how these horses and
children can have a special bond. God does work in an amazing way. The ranch
has been very spiritually opening for me as well. Having my 21 year old daughter
come and volunteer on one of the same days as I do has made it very special
for me. For both of us to be together doing what we both love, being around
children and horses, and to share the special testimonies and devotionals with
the other volunteers and children is a great bond for us. We have always been
very close and this has just made it that much more special for us. I love
the ranch and all it does and can’t wait to start up the next season. Thank
you for letting me be a part of such a wonderful place.
Wings of Hope would like to add that Kathy has an amazing spirit and ability to encourage these children. I have seen her in action and am always amazed at how she is able to encourage a child far beyond what appears to be possible. With both of the children she mentions above, it appeared to me that perhaps we would not be able to get either of these children riding…ever! To Kathy, she never even perceived that as an option. God has gifted Kathy with the exact spirit needed to inspire these children to persevere and succeed. Thank you Lord, for sending us Kathy and all the other awesome volunteers who are Your hands and feet.
THANK YOU, Kathy!