Dear Square Peg supporters,
When all of this started – Michael and I reached out to our Board of Directors and asked for a emergency vote – that we would continue to pay our employees for as long as possible throughout this crisis.
The board approved and we immediately looked to our budget to see how we would make this happen. So far, so good. We are watching closely for the county and the Federal assistance programs to help us make good on our commitment to our employees.
In the meantime, even our employees who are quarantined at home have been given projects to research and think about to help strengthen our services to our families.
We have begun reaching out to our families via phone, email and social media to check on them and help them feel connected. While it feels trite and unsatisfying, we are heartened by the resilience of our families and they love getting photos and movies of the animals and the ranch.
We went as far as to ask our participants to help us produce 2 minute or less video features of the animals at Square Peg and what has been produced so far shows how beloved the animals really are – and how beloved they are. We even received some national press for the efforts:
We are taking this time to advance the training for all of the horses, to re-think structures and programs, to deepen our understandings of current research in neuroscience, treatment and safety protocols. We are doing deep thinking about long term plans, best practices and how to leverage donor and grant funds for maximum efficiency. We are looking to new partnerships and strengthening existing ones.
While there is so much still unknown, while we are worried about the health of all of our loved ones and our communities – we are excited to see a global effort to protect one another and to forgo so many things that we have all taken for granted for so long in order to protect each other.
Sometime soon, the arenas will be filled with the laughter we know as #TeamQuirky and we will enjoy congregating face to face and we will know how precious and vital that is like never, ever before.
Be safe, be well – and wash your hands.
Love,
Square Peg