New Location!

WE HAVE MOVED! Please continue to follow us at our official blog location HERE. We have so much to share and we look forward to having you along for the fun! See you soon!

Piggy Paradise

Hello friends!

Whoever believes that pigs are not smart have clearly never spent any time with pigs! They really are like a two year old! You all know Miss Daisy, one of the newest additions to the barn. Well, she has been keeping us on our toes. We received Daisy as a little piglet so she isn’t quite as calm as sweet (sometimes grumpy) older Miss Violet.  Daisy is as darling as can be and thrives on attention but boy is she clever. Her latest mission has been to find new ways out of the fencing so we continue to try and stay one step ahead of her plots. Ever try to outsmart a little piggy? Well, it isn’t easy! We have given her dog treat dispensers and even tried giving her Bodhi’s big treat dispenser to keep her occupied, but both have been short lived. We would love some ideas from you all on some new, creative, and safe means to keep this girl entertained and out of mischief. She might just be upset because she doesn’t have a sponsor yet, so if any of you animal lovers out there would like to sponsor Daisy, we would be grateful. She loves being the center of attention and you would just absolutely make her day. Sponsoring her would most definitely be an oink of a good time!

Has anyone noticed anything new about the look of Project: Thrive? If you guessed a new, updated website then you are absolutely correct! Take a few minutes and check out the official website for Project:Thrive.  We think we looked pretty good before, but now we are just simply dazzling! We can’t stop looking at ourselves. The creative genius behind our revamped site is no other than our amazing volunteer Lisa Crowe. Lisa is the owner/operator/designer of Lightshine Design, a web design/graphic artistry company. We are so lucky to have such talent helping us here at Project: Thrive. If you are looking for web design work or graphic design, check out Lisa’s official website at Lightshine Design. A big, heartfelt thank you to Lisa for keeping us looking beautiful and functioning properly in the web-o-sphere. 

We have another great big shout out to give and that goes to every single one of you that helped in covering the costs for the barn kittens. We are in the process of getting them vetted and will have pictures of the little cuties coming soon. You all never cease to amaze us. We asked for help and you came rushing to our side. What a big difference you have made in the lives of these kitties. From all of us here at the barn, thank you!

It’s about that time again. Springtime! You know what that means. Lots and lots of kiddos coming out to enjoy the animals and learn about treating all living beings with kindness and compassion. That also means that we need volunteers. Groups, schools, and various organizations have already inquired about scheduling time to come out this spring. We will let you know specific dates and further information as it gets closer, but if you have any interest in volunteering with us during these events, please reach out and let us know via our Volunteer Page.

Don’t forget that even though we have a lot of volunteer opportunities here on site with the animals, we also have many opportunities to volunteer remotely. We know there are a lot of creative juices out there and we would love for you to share your ideas and talents with us. If you are interested, let us know how you think you can best help. We would love to hear your thoughts. Drop us a line on our Volunteer Page. With so many mouths to feed and care to give, we are always in need of donations and sponsors. If you have a little extra and you want to contribute to Project: Thrive and support our mission, we would be very appreciative. To learn more about making a donation please visit our website to DONATE. Don’t forget about AmazonSmiles! Remember that with AmazonSmiles, whenever you place an order, a portion of the proceeds will be directed to the charity of your choice at no additional cost to you. What a great way to support an organization like Project: Thrive!

As always, thank you all for your continued support and generosity. We appreciate you more than you could know.

(Pictures: Daisy the pig loves to wear pink! And two of our amazing, amazing volunteers with Bodhi- what a lucky boy.)

In Kindness,

Project: Thrive

It Takes A Village.

Hello friends,

Happy New Year! We hope 2017 is shaping up to be everything you had hoped for so far and treating you all very well. It is a new year and wonderful things are happening here at the barn including new opportunities to help our community as well as help even more animals! We hope you will find something here that interests you and we encourage you to get involved in any way you can. Lots of positive momentum here at Project:Thrive and we couldn’t be more excited.

We are looking to expand and grow. How about that for some big news! We are in the process of looking for a place with more land so that we can offer more programs, therapy groups, educational opportunities, and well, just plain ol’ good times! When we expand we will be able to consider rescuing and giving a forever home to more of our animal friends. With more space, Project: Thrive will be able to start a small community that invites individuals to join us and help us to carry out Project: Thrive’s mission. We will keep you posted on this new and exciting adventure.

Do you remember when we mentioned that we wanted to start a tiny home village to help continue to grow Project:Thrive all while helping individuals in need? Project:Thrive Village is ready to launch our first tiny home that will house an individual who will be a big part of our community and mission. There is a lot of work to do and a lot of fun to be had! If you would like to volunteer to help build this tiny home, please let Project: Thrive Village project leader, Jenn Becker know. You can contact her by email at: jenn-becker@hotmail.com. We have collected many supplies to date including a large trailer, roofing paper, a sink, pallets for wood flooring, and house wrap, but we still have a wish list to get this house launched. If you would like to contribute, we are in need of roofing staples/nails, lumber, a solar generator, and a roofing nail gun. We appreciate any and all help for this phenomenal cause!

Do you dream of turning your snowmen into sand castles? Jenn also has a great opportunity to acquire a week’s stay in a condo in either Nuevo Vallarta or Cancun, Mexico. She would like to gauge interest within the Project: Thrive community (that’s YOU!!) of who would be interested in participating in a raffle for this to help raise money for Project: Thrive Village. If think you might be interested in this raffle and the chance to win a week with your toes in the sand or if you have any suggestions, please email Jenn at jenn-becker@hotmail.com.

Remember our little kitty litter we mentioned last blog? Well they are growing quickly and as cute as ever! We are still looking for a few feline angels out there. We will need to spay/neuter this little feral kitten family so they will remain healthy and not have kittens of their own someday. A donation of $35 will cover the costs to spay/neuter AND vaccinate one sweet little kitty so they can continue to hang at the barn in good health with all of their new friends and family. There are 5 cats total who still need to be vetted. One has already been successfully taken care of, THANK MEOW to that sponsor!

Speaking of our feline friends, we are starting our search to find Senior Living Facilities to partner with Life is Better Rescue for the impending kitten season. Spring is the time of year when BUNCHES of orphaned kittens will need help. We are trying to find the right senior volunteers to help feed, hold, and love these kittens. If you have a connection with a Senior Facility, please let us know. We will set up all of the details! If you would like to participate in this fun activity, just let us know. We would love to put you to work with the senior /kitten matches.

So how about all of that goodness to start a year off right, hey? If any of this exciting news made you feel good and you would like to help out in any way, just let us know! We are always looking for caring volunteers to help in a myriad of ways, even if you live too far away to come to the barn. Sponsors and donations are always welcome and greatly appreciated too. Maybe you just want to tell your friends about us so they can share in this adventure with us too. Anyway you choose to get involved is a big deal and celebrated. Your generous support is what allows us to do the great work we do and we appreciate you more than you could know. To inquire about volunteer opportunities please visit us at http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/donate.html#volunteer. To donate towards Project: Thrive or sponsor an animal please visit us at http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/donate.html. Don’t forget that you can also easily donate through AmazonSmiles as well! It is a great feature of Amazon that allows a portion of the proceeds for any of your purchases to go to the charity of your choice (like Project:Thrive J). You can check it out at https://smile.amazon.com/.  Thank you!!

(Photos: Our wonderful volunteer Annie spoiling Daisy and a photobomb by Greycie; One of our new feral kitty residents; Bodhi and Daisy loving on each other.)

In Kindness,

Project: Thrive

The Kitties Are Coming!

Hello friends!

We have had such a wonderful December so far and with everything on the horizon, it just keeps getting better and better! Sit back, relax, and have a read of the beautiful moments we have shared as well as the upcoming events we hope you can be a part of.

To our surprise, and joy, we have new furry guests at the barn! A little feral kitty family took up residence and likes to hang out in the hay to stay warm and safe. Mama Kitty brought 5 little kittens to us so we are trying to make their life as comfy as possible by providing food and clean water this winter. With a few more mouths to feed, we would be so grateful for anyone who would like to sponsor them or contribute with a one-time donation to help cover their spay/neuter vaccinations, health checks, etc. We will trap them, have them vetted, and return them to their normal routine when they are ready. We just love having their sweet faces around and I think they enjoy the company too! If you would like to sponsor or make a contribution, please visit our website here: http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/donate.html.

We had a truly wonderful turnout for our Remembrance Ceremony as well as for our Volunteer Appreciation bon-fire. It was a great day of stories, memories, community, and good spirited celebration. Thank you to all that participated and thank you again to all of our phenomenal volunteers, both near and far! We could not do this work as well without each and every one of you and we appreciate you more than you could know. If you have been thinking about volunteering with Project:Thrive and would like some more information or to simply inquire, you can find out more here: http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/donate.html#volunteer.

Project: Thrive has started partnering with a truly great group, Animal Haus (http://animalhaus.org/ ), who is just getting started and already doing some pretty awesome things for pets! This organization collects dog and cat food to help families who are going through difficult times. Project: Thrive will be collecting unopened bags or cans of pet food to help this group reach out to even more families who need help this coming year! If you feel moved to help out too, you can drop unopened bags or cans of food off at our office or call us to coordinate a pick-up!  Our office is located at 6690 W 39th Ave Wheat Ridge, CO 80033, or to schedule a pickup please call 303.990.2135. The families and pets of Colorado thank you!   

Springtime will bring more than just April showers and May flowers to Colorado in 2017. This upcoming spring we will be helping Life is Better Rescue (http://www.lifeisbetterrescue.org/ ) by finding resident senior volunteers at Senior Care Facilities to help feed, comfort, and engage with the orphaned kittens that Life is Better Rescue takes in every spring. If you know of a Senior Care Facility who might be interested in getting their seniors involved, please let us know. Training will be provided and the interaction between the seniors and the kittens are the things dreams are made of. We can’t wait to get started on this project!

Our Animal Spotlight for December is on sweet and gentle Roja the horse. Roja joined our family when her 89 year young mom (a super, amazing woman) had to have a knee replacement and wouldn’t be able to ride her for a while. Roja lived most of her life at the stable with other boarded horses and adult care takers. When she arrived she was shy and it took her a while to warm up to daily chats, grooming, and singing in the barn. But, once she got in the groove she decided she really enjoyed sharing in it! She loves the attention but really enjoys the younger crowd and teaches them that being really big just means one has a really big heart and spirit. We just love our big, red girl!

Tis’ the season for giving, sharing, kindness, and caring. When thinking about gift giving this year, we hope you will consider all of the deserving animals at the Project: Thrive barn. They have been so good this year while lovingly teaching humans about kind interaction, gentle living, and trustworthy relationships. They have mended many hearts with their unconditional love and continue to show us humans what kindness and love truly looks like. If you should feel moved to contribute, please visit the following link: http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/rescues.html.  Don’t forget that you can also easily donate through AmazonSmiles as well! It is a great feature of Amazon that allows a portion of the proceeds for any of your purchases to go to the charity of your choice (like Project:Thrive J). You can check it out at https://smile.amazon.com/ .Perhaps you may wish to sponsor one (or many) of our furry friends to help support them all through the year. One time donations are also greatly appreciated and help tremendously. Or, maybe you would like to participate in one of the opportunities mentioned previously. We welcome your generosity with much gratitude and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kind consideration.

(Video: A couple of our new cat friends enjoying some down time at the barn.)

In kindness,

Project: Thrive

Putting Plastic In Its Place!

Hello friends!

The weather is getting cooler, the snow is starting to fall in some places, cozy spaces and warm hot chocolate is back in style, and all of us here at the barn are preparing for the cooler weather. Bodhi is most excited about being able to make snow cows and cow angels in the snow. It won’t be long now, Bodhi boy! We have had some fun events recently to report on and we have some fun things on the horizon too! Grab your spiced latte or coco with marshmallows and have a read!

We recently partnered with local third graders in two elementary schools to help raise awareness about the profound overuse and consequences of overusing plastics. The kids were asked to collect plastic waste for just one month and then divert it to us to repurpose. They took the assignment seriously and boy were we overwhelmed by their participation and the amount of plastic that came to us in that month! To date, the kids have helped us recycle the use of plastic by making hundreds of dog toys, the beginning of a greenhouse, and insulation for the barn for the winter. The kids have done all of the work AND we still have so much more plastic to utilize. Great job, students!! These are really great projects that you can do at home too! Do you have any fun ideas for repurposing plastic?

We have a very special ceremony coming up and we would love for you to join us. Saturday, December 3^rd at 3:00 pm we will hold a very meaningful, yet simple ceremony to remember and honor our companion animals who have crossed over. Their presence comforted us, their love enriched us and their devotion lifted us up. We will take time to lovingly remember them in our annual Remembrance for Companion Animals Ceremony. We will gather at the Project:Thrive barn, light a personalized luminaria, make a prayer flag, share stories, readings, and call the names of our beloved companions as the bell rings in their honor. Light refreshments will be served. If you cannot be present at our Remembrance but would like a luminaria lit in your companion’s memory and your companion’s name called, we will be honored to carry out your request. Please contact us at project.thrive.global@gmail.com.

It’s almost time to truly celebrate our volunteers with our Volunteer Appreciation Celebration! Please join us after our Remembrance Ceremony to honor all of our wonderful volunteers who make Project:Thrive, well, THRIVE! The celebration will take place at the barn at 4:00 pm on December 3^rd. We are so grateful for your gifts, talents, and hard labor and we want to share our gratitude and appreciation with YOU! We will have vegan chili, cold and warm beverages, and S’MORES (vegan, of course!) to make over the bonfire. Doesn’t that sound like fun? We will have plenty of stories, laughter, and good times to keep you warm all night. We hope you will be there so we and all of the animals can thank you in person for all that you do for Project: Thrive throughout the year. We really do appreciate all of you.

Our animal spotlight for the month of November shines brightly on the Chickens! Eunice came to us from the animal shelter. She has no beak but we soften her food for her with extra water and she gets along just fine! Eunice is very affectionate and gentle. Did you know that chickens purr when they feel safe and cared for? Eunice will gladly sit close and let you pet her. The girls take over the goat’s and Bodhi’s barn during the day when it is cold and snowy outside. We guess it is more fun to go to someone else’s house than stay inside at home all day. And yes, the boys will often hang out in the coop when it’s cold! We have included a picture of sweet Eunice, who also likes to go for car rides! Has she melted your heart yet? All of our chickens are wonderful and sweet, and oh so smart! If you would like to sponsor Eunice and the chickens, or any of our sweet animal friends, we invite you to read about each of them and decide which one speaks to your heart. Your generous donations are what help Project: Thrive continue to do this amazing work! For more information, please go here: http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/rescues.html. 

That’s all for now. Thank you so much for your continued support and kindness. We are truly grateful. Stay warm and enjoy your November! We hope to see you soon.

(Pictured: Dog toys and barn insulation created from plastic waste, a picture of sweet Eunice ready for her car ride! (Silly girl), Also a picture from a previous Remembrance ceremony with our sweet donkey girls stealing some affection!)

In Kindness,

Project: Thrive

This Little Piggy...

Hello friends!

Drop what you’re doing and oh my goodness say hello to Daisy! Daisy is our newest little piglet at the barn and can you say spirited? She is just a bundle of joy that bounces around from one thing to the next in search of cuddles and kisses and FUN! She is the smartest, sweetest little piggy, not to take anything away from Miss Violet the Pig of course, but piglets are truly just so CUTE! We were ready to rescue another somebody special to live at the barn and, well, we just could not resist this precious little soul. This little girl was turned into the Denver Animal Shelter and we rescued her from there. She will have a wonderful life here with us and we are certain she will bring us all a lot of joy as well. Welcome home sweet Daisy!

Well, we are well on our way into October and we are having a blast here at the barn! We recently held one of our Kindness Camps and what a tremendous turnout we had! Children from throughout the community enjoyed one on one time with a mentor as they spent quality time with the animals. The children (and the mentors) enjoyed quiet time with each animal, grooming them, reading to them, learning about them, all while showing kindness, compassion and understanding to each other. At the end of the camp, the children created Journey Sticks made from sticks they found around the property. They were asked to include anything they would like on their stick that would remind them of their special day at the barn and to remind them to be kind to animals, others and themselves, and to enjoy the moment. All of the sticks were beautiful and many included feathers that had fallen to the ground, leaves, horse hair (from grooming), flowers, and so on. As we went around the group to find out more about each of their personal sticks, it was heartwarming to hear how much the day really meant to these children. The animals enjoyed every minute of it too! It really was a wonderful experience for all involved.

Call for Volunteers! We have a similar event coming up this coming Friday (10/14) and we are in need of some additional volunteers if you would like to join us. It promises to be a great day and though you will be volunteering, you will have a bunch of fun! The field trip will be children from a local school who will be coming to spend time with and learn more about the animals. Very similar to the Kindness Camp we just held. We would love to have you here and the animals would love to meet you and spend time with you too! If you are interested in joining us and making a difference, please go here to sign up and inquire: http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/donate.html#volunteer .You are so very much appreciated!

Attention Bowlers! Attention Bowlers! We are sorry to report that we will need to postpone the Annual Bowling Tourney to sometime the first of the New Year. We want as many people to be able to participate as possible and unfortunately, the date we had scheduled (October 22) will prevent too many people from attending due to schedule conflicts. Do not dismay though! We will let you know in next month’s blog the new rescheduled date so that you can get it on your calendar, get your team together and practice before the big day. Should you have any questions or concerns at all regarding this cancellation, please do not hesitate to contact us at: project.thrive.global@gmail.com. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

November is a month that is very near and dear to our hearts here at Project:Thrive. It is the month that we hold our Annual Companion Animal Remembrance ceremony here at the barn. We have created this space of remembrance to honor the animals we loved so dearly that have passed over the rainbow bridge. During the remembrance we will share memories and take time to pay tribute to their sweet souls and all they brought to our lives.  The ceremony will be followed by a nice warm bonfire and a volunteer appreciation gathering where we will honor those animals that are still living and who enrich our lives daily, as well as the wonderful volunteers who make Project:Thrive so special and keep us running. We hope you will be able to attend this very beautiful time at the barn; we would love to see you! The official date, sometime early-mid November, will be released soon with additional information to follow.

Last month we spotlighted Lottie and Gertie, so it only seems right that this month we spotlight the sweet and gentle Izzie and Allie! We love our sweet donkeys at the barn and if you haven’t spent any time with these sweet souls, please put it on your list of things to do. You will fall in love, we are certain. Allie (grey and gracefully aged) is the mother to Izzy. Even though Allie and Izzy went through some traumatic experiences when they were rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management they both are so gentle and patient. Allie is very motherly and will follow the humans around and just stand near them either to watch over them or to snuggle in for a little affection. Allie loves putting her face close to her human. Both Allie and Izzy love being sung to. No matter what they are doing when a song begins they will come in really close. Izzy is about 15 years old and her mother, Allie is around 20. They with touch your heart on your very first visit to the barn and I can promise they are souls you won’t soon forget. Kindness is in their nature. If you would like to sponsor Izzie or Allie, or any of our sweet animal friends, we invite you to read about each of them and decide which one speaks to your heart. Your generous donations are what help Project: Thrive to, well, thrive! For more information, please go here: http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/rescues.html. 

As always, we thank you for your continued support, kindness, and generosity. We could not do what we do without you and we are grateful for each and every one of you! We hope your October is full of fun, colorful falling leaves, and all of the things that make this season so wonderful. Hope to see you at the barn soon!

In kindness,

Project: Thrive

September Is Here And So Are More Babies!

Hello friends!

Well, it feels like springtime here at the barn with all of our new babies! We recently posted a video of our latest newborns, Ash, Willow, and Juniper. Be sure to check it out when you get a chance and see them in all of their fuzzy glory. Nemo is so excited, as are the other animals, over the little ducks. They seem pretty excited to be here too!

We wanted to take another moment to say THANK YOU all again for our beautiful trailer! We couldn’t have gotten it without you all and now we can rest easy knowing that should we need to transport Big Bodhi Boy or any of the other sweeties, we won’t have any trouble getting them where they need to be. We are so grateful for your support, in all of its many forms.

SAVE THE DATE: Guess what time it is (almost)? Get your bowling gear ready and your friendly competitive spirit ignited because our annual Bowling Tourney is right around the corner! There will be more information coming your way shortly, but for now, mark your calendars for Saturday, October 22. We always have so much fun and donations all go towards Kindness Camp sponsorship as well as towards the rescue animals here at the barn. The Bowling Tourney will be held at the same location this year at Paramount Bowl, 2625 Kipling Street, Wheat Ridge, CO 80215. If you don’t live close enough to join us but you still want to participate, you can always sponsor a bowler or a team. Sponsorship allows for kids who are in the foster system or in residential treatment to have a day of fun bowling too! Stay tuned for more to come!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: We will have Animal Assisted Therapy/Activity Groups for kids starting in October. Every child will have a mentor and these groups will focus on building confidence, fostering kindness and compassion (for self and others), developing respect for self and others, and encouraging laughter, cooperation, and purpose. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer mentor for this program or would like more information on volunteering in general please go here: http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/donate.html#volunteer to sign up and inquire. You are appreciated!

Our Animal Spotlight for September is shining brightly on two of our sweetest souls here at the barn, Lottie and Gertie. Lottie came to us from Longhopes Donkey Shelter and they were, thankfully, able to pull her from the kill buyer. She came in with her burro buddy and constant companion, Gertie. These two sweet girls are minis and they absolutely LOVE humans, especially children. Lottie has appointed herself as the main guard to the barn at night. I will oftentimes see her sweet face poking around the door to get a better look at what is going on out in the dark. Lottie will rest her head on my shoulder if I am working or meditating down in the barn. I pull the bucket out to sit on and Lottie makes a bee line to where I am sitting to move in close and add to the peaceful vibes that ring through the barn. Lottie is about 19 years old. If you would like to sponsor Lottie or Gertie, or any of our sweet animal friends, we invite you to read about each of them and decide which one speaks to your heart. Your generous donations are what help Project: Thrive to, well, thrive! For more information, please go here: http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/rescues.html.

Don’t forget, Project: Thrive is going LIVE!!! We are going to be live each Sunday during Volunteer Time (usually sometime between 12:00 noon to 2:00pm Mountain Time). Keep an eye on Facebook as we will announce when we are close to go time! You can ask us questions and tell us who you would like to say hello to that day and we will do our best to accommodate. The animals are loving it, we hope you are too! See you then!

We enjoy you all so very much and we are so happy to have you be a part of Project:Thrive! Thank you for all that you do including your continued support and encouragement. The animals couldn’t ask for better friends.

(Pictured: Lottie and Gertie love being read to by this sweet little storyteller; our new trailer; Mama Brie, Nemo, and the three newest ducklings- Ash, Willow, and Juniper!)

With much gratitude,

Project:Thrive

Baby On Board!!!!

Hello friends!

IT’S A BOY!!!!! That’s right, we have a new baby duck at the barn and we have named him Nemo. It has been awhile since we have had a newborn here and the animals and volunteers are beside themselves with joy. We couldn’t be more thrilled with his arrival. Nemo came from the egg of two of our rescued ducks. When Brie, the mother duck, wouldn’t tend to it we took it inside and incubated the egg assuming it had been fertilized. We are so glad we did because he is just darling. What a lucky boy to be born at such a loving, safe place. Welcome to the world little Nemo!

We are so happy to report that our inaugural “Our Sustainable World Film Festival” was a wonderful success. This was brand new territory for us and we couldn’t have pulled it off without the tremendous support of our sponsors, volunteers, the filmmakers, the musical performers, and the great community support we received. The films sparked awareness, questions, and hopefully continued action. We had a fabulous vegan dinner and sweets prepared by our very own amazing volunteers. Not only was this event educational and thought provoking, it also offered an opportunity for everyone to mingle and discuss ideas on how they can be a part of this important movement. We all had such a truly wonderful evening and we have already begun planning next year’s event! Thank you to all that helped make this evening so spectacular and we hope to see you all again next year!

If you have been following Project: Thrive for any period of time now, you are well aware that we always have something new and exciting on the horizon. We are truly on a mission and we invite you all along on this journey. We have something very special we are working on and it is currently in the pipeline for its big reveal. For now, we will offer some information on this heartfelt project as it is in its beginning stages, but we hope you will stay tuned as it unfolds and comes to life. We are working on plans to open Project: Thrive Village. PTV, as we refer to it, is all about creating an environmentally conscious self-sustaining community which is respectful and protective of all lives and will continue and grow Project: Thrive’s mission. PTV will focus on homelessness prevention by offering housing in onsite tiny homes, provide onsite jobs and life skills as well as therapeutic opportunities. Project: Thrive Village will focus its homelessness prevention program on young adults in the GLBT community and on previous foster children. Both of these groups have been shown to have an increased risk for homelessness. We will keep you posted on our progress and may even ask for some help along the way if you are interested. Please stay tuned!

Project: Thrive is going LIVE!!! We are going to be live each Sunday during Volunteer Time (usually sometime between 12:00 noon to 2:00pm Mountain Time). Keep an eye on Facebook as we will announce when we are close to go time! You can ask us questions and tell us who you would like to say hello to that day and we will do our best to accommodate. The animals were a little nervous when we told them about their screen time but we explained to them that they have many fans and people who love them so now they are ready for the limelight! They can’t wait to say hello to all of their friends in Facebook land.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!! We will have Animal Assisted Therapy/Activity Groups for kids starting this fall. Every child will have a mentor and these groups will focus on building confidence, fostering kindness and compassion (for self and others), developing respect for self and others, and encouraging laughter, cooperation, and purpose. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer mentor for this program or would like more information on volunteering in general please go here: http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/donate.html#volunteer to sign up and inquire.

Last month our animal spotlight was on little Pearl so it only seems fitting that this month we shine the light on her favorite sidekick, Poppy. Mr. Poppy came to us after being rescued from a dire situation. He was two weeks old and we began bottle feeding him when he arrived. Poppy is a character and didn’t hesitate to introduce himself to the other barn residents. He marched right up to Bodhi and stood in front of him until he was noticed and acknowledged. From the chickens to the goats to the pig, he has made friends with each one through his persistence. Poppy never knew his mama and was called a “bum” lamb. That means he was rejected or orphaned at birth. We took him into our arms and he calls to us and follows us around like we have always been his mommy (which I guess we really have). His favorite thing in the world is to playfully head butt Violet the pig from behind and to crawl up into our laps and be sung to. His little face rubs up against mine as he listens to his name being sung over and over. Our Poppy has certainly stolen all of our hearts. If you would like to sponsor Poppy or any of our sweet animal friends we invite you to read about each of them and decide which one speaks to your heart. Your generous donations are what help Project: Thrive to, well, thrive! For more information, please go here: http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/rescues.html

As always, from the bottom of our hearts, we THANK YOU! Thank you for your continued support, for spreading the word about what we do, for allowing these sweet animals to become part of your world, for believing in our mission, and for your kindness. Thank you.

(Pictured: Nemo our new duckling, Jenn who is one of the driving forces of PTV, Poppy getting kisses from our fabulous volunteer Eden – who is multitasking and brushing Violet the pig, and The Marquee from our Film Fest event).

Project: Thrive

The Film Fest Is Coming!

Hello friends!

The barn is filled with so much excitement this month! We and the animals can barely contain our joy! It is finally here. This month, in just a week and a few days, we will be celebrating our inaugural “Our Sustainable World Film Festival” (https://www.facebook.com/events/1048752108552215/ ) that will be taking place Sunday, July 24 at 1:15 PM- 10 PM at The Oriental Theater in Denver. The films to be shown are Revolution, Cowspiracy:  The Sustainability Secret, Baraka:  A World Beyond Words, and Racing Extinction.  These amazing films were chosen to promote awareness regarding sustainability, and all profits will be donated to Project:Thrive!  In addition, fantastic musical entertainment will be provided by Kristi Stice and Gypsy Swing Revue.

This is a big deal for us and for the community and we are over the moon about this event! We certainly hope you will be able to attend. If you are not in the local area, we ask that you play a role in this monumental experience by sharing the information with your friends and family on Facebook! We appreciate the help getting the word out and if this year is as successful as we anticipate then we will hope to continue it for years to come. Also, if you want to be a part of the event but you are unable to attend, you can always make a general donation to Project: Thrive and those funds will help with this event as well as the general running of Project: Thrive. A great way to make a huge impact! Donations can be made via our Facebook Page: (https://www.facebook.com/projectthrivedenver/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel ) or via our main website: (http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/).

Our animal spotlight this month is on sweet Pearl. Pearl came to us as a lamb through the local animal shelter. She was so terrified of humans and other animals that it was impossible to comfort her. It took her a little time but she slowly began to warm up to Bodhi (who was a calf at the time, and much, much smaller than he is now!). She seemed to feel safe when she was near him and her confidence began to grow. Pearl has come so far during her time here that now she will run to greet humans and will even let strangers pet her and give her attention. She loves to play with the goats, Bodhi, and Violet (the pig) now. It is so gratifying to watch her interact with such giddiness and enthusiasm. Pearl also really enjoys being sung to while having her coat brushed. When you hear the phrase ‘Gentle as a Lamb’, think of Pearl. She is gentle, loving and happy. She is pictured here giving kisses to one of our awesome volunteers, Layne!

If you love animals and would like to make a difference, Project:Thrive is always looking for volunteers to join our sweet team. Perhaps you want to work one on one with the animals, or maybe you want to help with the administrative side or the creative side, there are so many opportunities to share your individual talents here. For more information or sign up please go here: (http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/donate.html#volunteer).

Perhaps you might want to be a part of what Project:Thrive is doing but maybe you live too far away to volunteer? Maybe you have thought about contributing in some way but you aren’t sure how? Well, many of our sweet furry friends are still in need of monthly sponsors! For as little as $15/per month you can make an enormous difference in the lives of these animals. Every penny of your monthly donation goes towards fulfilling the needs of your animal of choice. It is a fun and inexpensive way to know you are making an impactful difference in the life of one of these sweet souls. Whichever animal speaks to you, there is an opportunity for sponsorship (sponsorship amounts vary by animal). To read about the animals we have available for sponsorship and to sign up today for monthly donations please go here to find out more: http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/rescues.html .

As always, we appreciate you all for your continued support and kindness. Thank you for continuing to spread the word about Project: Thrive and for making us a part of your world. If you are new to the Project: Thrive family, you can find out more about who we are and what we strive for here: http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/index.html .

Summer Fun At The Barn Begins!

Hello friends!

June is upon us and we are still catching our breath from a very happy, busy May! We had a fantastic turn out for our three separate school field trips and everyone, including the animals, had a wonderful time. We are so thankful to the volunteers who helped make these days so successful, and to the teachers, parents, and children who gave us their time and attentiveness. The children participated in a variety of interactive activities while here including learning about recycling with some hands on exercises, grooming the animals, reading to the animals (one of the animals favorite parts), and more. We made a lot of new friends and hopefully the children will continue to build on what they learned about the animals and recycling while they were here.

This month we are gearing up for our inaugural “Our Sustainable World Film Festival” https://www.facebook.com/events/1048752108552215/ that will be taking place Sunday, July 24 at 1:15 PM- 10 PM at The Oriental Theater in Denver. Through June 16 (or while supplies last) we will have a limited number of Film Festival t-shirts for sale. They feature our unspoken team mascot on the front, Bodhi! The artwork is from local artists here in Colorado and proceeds will go to Project:Thrive. There are a variety of colors to choose from and only a limited time to order, so hurry and get yours today! You will be the talk of the town in this one of a kind wearable piece of artwork all while promoting a wonderful cause. We hope you will also be able to join us for the festival in July; you can even wear your shirt! Bodhi would be quite proud. For more information and to purchase your shirt please go to: https://www.booster.com/projecthrive .

We have another event coming up in early July that we are all a MOO about. Pet Painting for Project Thrive will take place July 14^th from 6 PM – 9:30 PM at Lil’ Angel, 1014 S. Gaylord Street, Denver, CO 80209. Come paint a picture of your favorite pet, or even one of the furry members of Project:Thrive, while sipping on wine and munching on yummy snacks in great company! Call Lil’ Angel (303-777-0224) to sign up today! When registering, please use code: Project Thrive. A deposit of $10 will be due at the time of registration with $50 due at the event (total cost is $60.00). Bring a photo of the pet you would like to paint. Draw and paint instructions, all supplies, snacks, and wine will be provided. Space is very limited. This event is brought to you by the generosity of: Lil’ Angel Pet Boutique and Gallery (www.lilangelpetboutique.com ) and Muddy Paws Bath House (www.muddypawsbathhouse.com ).

Our animal spotlight this month is on Augie the Goat! He is such a character. When visitors come by he is one of the first to the gate to say hello. Once you make your way onto the pasture you can count on many nuzzles from this silly little guy. He is a people “person” and he just loves attention. Give him some cuddles and you have a lifelong friend. Augie loves to explore and can be found in some pretty bizarre places, including curled up snoozing in the feed tray (to the surprise of his brothers and sisters). Augie is similar to that one friend we all have who has the best sense of humor and can always find a way to make you smile. Augie is pictured above during a reading session with one of the students from our recent field trips and he loves being read to! Thank you Augie for being the class clown and for always bringing us a smile or two, or three.

Have you ever thought you might want to be a part of what Project:Thrive is doing but maybe you live too far away to volunteer? Maybe you have thought about contributing in some way but you aren’t sure how? Well, many of our sweet furry friends are still in need of monthly sponsors! For as little as $15/per month you can make an enormous difference in the lives of these animals. Every penny of your monthly donation goes towards fulfilling the needs of your animal of choice. It is a fun and inexpensive way to know you are making a compassionate difference in the life of one of these sweet souls. Perhaps you have a great sense of humor and you can identify with Augie the goat! He would love to have you as a sponsor! Whichever animal speaks to you, there is an opportunity for sponsorship (sponsorship amounts vary by animal). To read about the animals we have available for sponsorship and to sign up today for monthly donations please go here to find out more: http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/rescues.html .

As always, we appreciate you all for your continued support and kindness. Thank you for continuing to spread the word about Project: Thrive and for making us a part of your world. If you are new to the Project: Thrive family, you can find out more about who we are and what we strive for here: http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/index.html .

With gratitude,

Project: Thrive

Bodhi's New Friend

 

Hello friends!

May is gearing up to be a very thrilling month here at Project: Thrive and we are getting ready for quite an eventful summer as well! The excitement is building and we hope you can be a part of some of the wonderful activities we have coming up.

We have three big Kindness Camps/Field Trips booked and we are in need of additional volunteers who are interested in helping teach the children about compassion, kindness, and responsible living through learning about and interacting with the animals. The camps are currently scheduled for May 16, May 24, and June 2. If you have some time to spare and would like to participate with any, or all, of these wonderful days just let us know and we will get you set up. The animals would love to see you too!

If you haven’t heard the big news, tickets for our inaugural “Our Sustainable World Film Festival” are on sale now! The festival is being held Sunday, July 24 at 1:15pm – 10:00pm at The Oriental Theater located at 4334 W 44^th Ave, Denver, Colorado 80212. Films to be shown during Our Sustainable World Film Festival are by some of the most talented, innovative film makers in the industry. Our line-up includes: Revolution, Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, Baraka: A World Beyond Words, and Racing Extinction. Musical entertainment for the evening will be provided by Kristi Stice and Gypsy Swing Revue. For more information including how to purchase tickets for this one of a kind occasion, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1048752108552215/ . This is the start of a beautiful tradition and we would love for you to be a part of it!

We feel so completely honored to have been one of 6 nonprofits featured in the 2015 Annual Report of the Nonprofits Insurance Alliance Group. What wonderful exposure for the work we are trying to do here at Project: Thrive! We hope you will take a moment to read the article that we are so proud of. Have a look here: 2015 Annual Report of the Nonprofits Insurance Alliance Group. Our story can be found on page 16 of the report. Very exciting, indeed.

Our animal spotlight this month is on our Bodhi Boy, pictured above. Consider this your moment of Moo. We gave Bodhi a new toy recently and little did we know how much he would love his new friend, the giant inflatable green ball. Bodhi will not part with his ball and he pushes it around with his nose and gives it big kisses too. The other day we watched as he was chasing it around in the high winds like a puppy chasing a tennis ball. The other night we noticed he was in the pasture standing over his ball trying to nudge it around and play. To his dismay and bewilderment, it was half deflated and wasn’t budging. He kept looking up in an attempt to get something done immediately about his deflated friend and couldn’t understand why we didn’t jump to his attention after several pleading moos. Well, it was late and after the chores of the barn and getting everyone settled for the evening we just didn’t have time to help his green friend before locking up and turning in for the evening. The next morning there Bodhi was laying out in the field with his goat and sheep siblings and the big green, now fully deflated, ball. He looked so sad that we couldn’t delay any longer. We finally brought his green ball friend back to life and all was right in the world of Bodhi once more. 

Thank you all so very much for all that you do to support our sweet sanctuary. We appreciate every single effort and hope you will continue to spread the word so that we may continue to grow and help even more children and animals through our combined work.

With much gratitude,

Project: Thrive

The Rainbow Bridge

It is with heavy hearts we share the news that we recently lost three very special souls here at the barn. Our sweet blogging chicken, Little, along with two of her duck friends, Lulu and Minnie, were victims of a fox attack. The attacks occurred during the day and we were quick to discover that the culprit was a very sick young fox who was in desperate need of medical care. The fox returned to the barn a few days later and we were able to detain her and take her to a nearby wildlife refuge. They were able to aid in her recovery and she will be returned to the wild in another location. Though we are deeply devastated over our losses, our hearts are filled knowing we were able to save Ms. Fox. We do everything in our power daily to protect the sweet souls here at the barn but sometimes in life the unexpected happens, much to our dismay.

Little, Lulu, and Minnie enjoyed a very happy life here at Project:Thrive and they brought us much joy while they were with us. Little was starting to take the world by storm with her blog and we know that she would want us to pick up where she left off and continue her journey. We will continue to blog our latest news, upcoming events, and recent happenings here with the animals to keep you updated and informed. Little would have wanted it that way.

Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement, we appreciate it more than you could ever know.  

Project:Thrive

Will you be my Valentine?

Hello all of my sweet Valentines!

Well, I don’t know about you but this little chicken has been very busy! So much going on at the barn these days. Just the other day there was the Super Bowl which I thought meant my dinner was going to be presented in a super big bowl, but it wasn’t. Evidently it was some kind of game between a horse and a big cat. Mom told us the horse won. That doesn’t surprise me though because Roja, my horse sister here at the barn is very strong and big, but also very gentle. She can run really fast though. So, that is all I know about all of that. I like cats and horses.

We had a lot of snow not too long ago and it makes it hard for a little chicken with little legs to get very far. Mom shoveled me a path so I could get around to see my friends, so that was very nice. I like the snow. I enjoy catching snowflakes on my beak and making chicken snow angles too! What is your most favorite thing about snow? Perhaps one day I will learn how to ski. I bet I would surprise a lot of people coming down the slopes!

Guess what? We have a new friend visiting at the barn! She is furry like my other brothers and sisters, she likes hay, and she is big and likes to run around the pasture. She is not human. She is a horse! Just like Roja. Her name is Grey but we call her Greycie because she is so pretty and graceful. Her human friends that she used to stay with needed some help caring for her so my mom brought her in to play with us for a while. We are so excited. Roja and Greycie have become the best of friends. Everyone here at the barn loves her. One time Bodhi was trying to eat her hay and Greycie told him real quick that wasn’t ok so he mooed and moooooved along. She is a little scared of the ducks when they waddle towards her, which I think is so silly! It is so much fun having her here. It is like having a slumber party every night. She likes when the volunteers come to visit because everyone wants to brush her and love on her. We know how to make someone feel welcome here at Project: Thrive!

My New Year’s Resolution of getting 10,000 likes to our Facebook page is moving right along. Thank you to every single one of you who invited your friends to like us! We have had several hundred new friends join us and I will tell you what, it sure does make a chicken feel good! Those of you that still want to play along and help us out, just click on the left hand side of our page where it says “Invite friends to like this page” and you can choose who you want to send the invitation to. Isn’t that the most fun you have ever had? Let’s see how many we can get this month!

We also have a very exciting crowd funding happening for about another month or so. Basically, Bodhi Boy is enormous and though he thinks he is a lap dog, he is just too big to sit in a car with his head out the window. So, we really need a trailer to transport him and my bigger brothers and sisters to the vet when they need to go. So many human friends have already donated and every little bit helps! If you or someone you know can help we would really appreciate it! You can go here http://www.loveanimals.org/farm/a-trailer-for-bodhi.html to find out more and donate if you can! Even just sharing the information with your friends is a big deal and we appreciate it tremendously.

We are always looking for volunteers and my brothers and sisters could all use sponsors too! We are all able to be here safe and warm because of people like YOU! So thank you, thank you for all of your love and support. If you are new to the Project: Thrive family and want to know more about my home and what goes on here at the barn, you can find lots of fun facts and information here http://www.projectthrivelocal2global.org/index.html.  I think the most important thing to mention though is that if you volunteer at the barn you get to see ME! That is kind of a big deal. Just sayin’.

That is all for now. I have included a picture of me and my sister Pearl. She was trying to teach me how to fly in this picture by nudging me off of my perch. It didn’t work. Oh well, I will keep trying! I hope you all enjoy your February and I will pop back by again in March with some fun updates. Thank you for supporting my chicken blog and for loving Project: Thrive as much as I do!

Sending you all so much love, cluck, cluck, cluck-

Little x