Alicia Bristow, OWN Oracle Board President
Volunteers from an El Rancho Robles retreat (Bulletproof the Husband organization) recently formed working groups to carry out jobs at the Oracle Visitor Center and at the local cemetery. Twenty-two volunteers, guided by Mark Thomson at the Visitor Center, and approximately 15 volunteers, guided by Justin Palmer at the cemetery, filled approximately six truckloads and a few trailer loads of weeds, brush, and branches. At the Visitor Center the volunteers spread about 13 tons of gravel in the parking lot and on parts of the new nature trail. Our Oracle Visitor Center has never looked better!
OWN Oracle was contacted to help find community work. Other nonprofit organizations in Oracle were contacted but did not have sufficient time or equipment resources to utilize the volunteers. Next year, the group returns, and they will again seek volunteer work and Oracle nonprofits can be better prepared. This work helped to make Oracle “firewise.” Ryan, who first contacted OWN Oracle, was a super interface. He explained how the organization does community volunteer work any time that they conduct a retreat. The volunteers were from Australia, Canada, and all over the states, including Alaska. Next time you run into Mark Thomson or Justin Palmer, be sure to thank them for their leadership roles in the community. Being chased by bees and experiencing thorny cacti is forever in their memory.
As president of the OWN Oracle Board, I want to give a shout-out to El Rancho Robles for connecting us with this group. So, Oracle nonprofits, think about projects for next year. These were hardworking men, with a great attitude about becoming better men and husbands. Oracle residents appreciate the time and effort they invested in our rural community. Thank you, Bulletproof the Husband!