Our featured volunteer of the month is Carina Gjerdrum!
In 2022 Carina's daughter, Freya, began riding at Lancers. At first Carina's primary role at Lancers was to get Freya to the barn on time, but she quickly got involved with so much more “ I saw how efficiently all the barn activities were run by this energetic group of kids, instructors, staff, and parents – and how much joy it brought everyone – and I wanted to be a part of it.”
Although Carina does not ride herself she has been around horses a lot in her life. “I was around horses a lot because my mom always rode and loved horses. When my siblings and I moved away from home, my parents moved to a small acreage where they kept a couple of horses, so I have a close connection despite not riding much myself.” Carina has also had the opportunity as a wildlife biologist to go to Sable Island! The love for horses has of course been passed down to Carina's daughter who wants to spend all of her time at Lancers and take in everything there is to know about horses.
Carina is always a great help with hay and shaving deliveries, she enjoys seeing a group gather to get some hard work done. Carina has taken on one of the roles of our used clothing sales, sorting and preparing the endless piles of red clothing “The best part of this job is watching the early birds gather at the tables before the sale begins, with such sharp focus and cash in hand” We appreciate whenever Carina is at the barn she is always willing to lend a hand and can find a task that needs to be done. “I try to fit in time where I can, but I want to give so much more – it is such a positive experience that the more time I give, the more I want to contribute. It feels as though the volunteers make a real difference at the barn like the worker ants shuffling in and out of their nests with such purpose and impact! And no matter the contribution, it is received with such gratitude.”
Carina has a great appreciation for the impacts that Lancers and all horses have on her whole family's life. “First and foremost, it makes my daughter happy, but it is so much more than that. The program teaches the riders how to ride, but also how to work, cooperate, collaborate, accept, discuss, express, listen, cope, grow, and be themselves. Those Lancer values are on display within the executive team, right on through the staff, instructors, and riders, and then trickle down to us parents and volunteers! I feel so fortunate to be a part of this community and look forward to being here for a while. While I may not ride myself, I love being around the horses, watching the events, meeting new people, and helping out where I can.”
We appreciate that Carina sees how Lancers is about so much more than just riding. Her contributions help keep our cogs turning and we are so happy to have her family as Lancers
