Our mission is accomplished thanks to the passion and commitment of our volunteers (ROCKateers) ages 14 to 92.
Instructions for using the Volunteer Portal
As a ROCK volunteer, you now have a personal portal where you can log in your volunteer hours, see ROCK’s weekly needs and sign up to volunteer for the areas of need.
LOGGING INTO THE VOLUNTEER PORTAL:
Step 1. Click on “Volunteer Log into Portal”.
Step 2: Enter your first name, last name, and password. Do Not Enter Email address.
Step 3. Click submit. You will be directed to your personal volunteer portal.
INSTRUCTIONS:
At the top of the site, there is a place to REPORT HOURS. You will be asked to select a “job”. If you are a Horse Handler who gets to SideWalk in the same day, please pick the job that you did the most that day. If you prefer to keep your Horse Handling and Side Walking hours separately, then you will submit two separate log entries. (example: Select Horse Handling, enter hours, and click submit; then select sidewalking, enter hours, and click submit.)
If you have kept track of hours (prior to this new system) that haven’t been entered in, you can enter them here. Simply add up all the hours that you have calculated and put them in as one big number.
If you have any questions or need assistance with the new system, please contact (512) 930-7625.
ROCK Volunteer Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do I need to have prior experience with horses to volunteer at ROCK?
A. No, it is not necessary to have experience with horses or individuals with special needs.
Q. What kind of things do volunteers do at ROCK?
A. Volunteers can answer phones, help with maintenance, train to be side-walkers, help with equipment, and any number of support tasks. If you’re not sure, tell us what you like to do, or what your strengths are, and we will try to put you to work!
Q. Are there options for me as a volunteer if I can’t commit to come every week?
A. Absolutely! Some of our volunteers come in on as as-needed basis and check the schedule for openings.
Q. Do you ever need people to help in the office or with events?
A. Yes, we do. We have several large fundraising events, plenty of competitions, and all kinds of special days for our clients. We use greeters, special entertainers, caterers, parking lot attendants. You name it!
Q. I am interested in working with horses. What programs are in place for someone like me?
A. We provide training in “Horse Handling” and offer a mentorship program for those who interested in advanced training.
Q. How old do you have to be to volunteer at ROCK?
A. Volunteers need to be at least 14 to volunteer without a parent or guardian.
Do you want to be a ROCKateer?
Volunteers make up 88% of ROCK’s workforce and we could not operate without the dedicated help of volunteers. We offer numerous volunteer opportunities that require a wide variety of talents. Your volunteer time will make a difference in the lives of our participants and their families.
Steps to Become a ROCKateer
- Register for Volunteer Training via the Website (see information below to sign up)
- Volunteers attend their scheduled Orientation/Tour Volunteer Training date. After attending the Orientation/Tour training session, sign up for a nonprogram role, or sign up for additional In-person volunteer training such as Side Walker training or Horse Handler mentorship. Note: Those interested in horse handling must have prior horse experience.
- Attend additional in-person volunteer training.
- Sign up for a class, or two, or three with the Volunteer Team.
- Become a regular ROCK volunteer, a ROCKateer, and know that you are making a difference in the lives of our participants and their families.
Volunteer Opportunities
- Riding Programs
- Horse Handlers
- Side Walkers
- Arena Assistants
- Barn Buddies
- Horse Care
- Feeding
- Conditioning Team
- Special events & Fundraising
- ROCK Sponsored Events
- Barn Dance
- Silent Auction
- Numerous Additional Opportunities
- Welcome Wranglers
- Administrative and Front Desk Support
Volunteer training courses are offered throughout the year and, while horse experience is needed for certain roles, it is not required in order to volunteer. The volunteer training courses cover ROCK procedures, safety practices, and promote volunteer involvement. Regardless of prior experience, anyone wishing to work with the horses or clients must be trained and demonstrate competency in the area they wish to assist.
Please recognize, riders and horses have the best outcomes when volunteers exhibit consistency and commit to one lesson per week for the same rider. ROCK gives scheduling preference to long term volunteers who can meet this commitment.
2022 Volunteer Training
In 2022 we will be working to implement a new model of training that was created to provide high compatibility between incoming volunteers and the roles we have available within our program. As we move towards reaching full capacity, we have very specific needs in our program that need fulfilled and we want to be sure that we have a role for you once training is complete. Due to the limited number of spots, training dates will be added as needed.
Volunteer training at ROCK is a two-step process. The first step in attending our Orientation and Tour. The second step is attending in-person training. Volunteers will be added to in-person training once they have completed the Orientation and Tour.
Our volunteer training sessions are currently full for the spring. Our website is kept up-to-date with the most current volunteer training information as of 5/2/2022. Please continue to check back here frequently. We are not maintaining a waitlist for volunteer trainings. Fall volunteer training dates are TBD.
ROCK Spring 2022 Volunteer Training Dates
Orientation/Tour Dates
- Thursday, May 12th (6:00-7:00) – FULL
In-Person Training Dates
- Saturday, May 14 (9:00-11:00) – FULL
Please email us at rockateers@rockride.org if you want to be added to an open training date.
ROCK volunteer positions and training requirements can be found here. ROCK volunteers must be ages 14 and older.
Volunteer training is held at ROCK, 2050 Rockride Lane, Georgetown, TX 78626. Please call the Volunteer Department at (512) 930-7625 if you have any questions.
Corporate Volunteerism and Special Interest Groups
Is your organization looking for a volunteer opportunity? ROCK can provide many opportunities due to flexibility in scheduling and variety of tasks available. The real benefit of having your group volunteer at ROCK comes from the satisfaction of knowing that you have made a genuine difference in our community.
Community Service
Court Appointed Community Service
At this time, we are not able to offer any court appointed community service hours.
Service for Academic Credit
Students wishing to earn community service hours for a class must volunteer in a therapeutic or therapy lesson and commit to volunteering at least one hour per week, for a minimum of 12 weeks. Attending both the Orientation/Tour and In-person Volunteer Training is required.