Posted on Jul 05, 2018
By Ellie Laks, Founder of The Gentle Barn
We are so excited that we reached our goal and closed escrow in Nashville. And we are so grateful to all of you who donated, shared, followed and kept us in your thoughts and prayers. We could not have done it without you!
Today Jay and I travel to Nashville to begin putting in fences and preparing the barns. We have much work to do in a very short time. We will be doing volunteer projects on the weekends and working during the week to finish on time. The cow pasture is already fenced with vinyl fencing, but that is not strong enough for cows and will need to be reinforced. The horse pasture is fenced but we need to make sure it is strong and secure all the way around. We need to build our barnyard for the smaller animals; pigs, chickens, turkeys, goats, and sheep. And we need to fence the woods where the pigs shall play. We will be having a professional barn company bringing the cow barn up to code and strong. We will be building our Sun Chlorella Healing Center for new animals to be triaged, quarantined and socialized. We will need to stock and set up our store and gift shop, hire staff, and meet volunteers. And we will have to furnish the house and apartments for our staff. Lots to do!
While planning, having meetings, setting things up, and making calls, I keep thinking about my little seven-year-old dream of having a big place full of animals and showing the world how beautiful animals are. We sure have come a long way since then! I remember at the start of the Gentle Barn, spirit and I made an agreement that I would do the work, and work hard, and spirit would pay the bills. So far we’ve both kept our agreement. Thank you for letting spirit flow through you to donate and support our work.
The new property is so full of potential: Open, spacious pastures that hold sweet grasses, shade trees, warm sun, adventures, and fun; Barns that offer safety, shelter, and love; And staff and volunteers who will provide gentle touches, nourishment, and health. So many new animals will come home to The Gentle Barn Nashville to find refuge, trust humans, and discover the best of humanity. Children will come to The Gentle Barn to discover connections with others that will surprise and delight. Kids will find a sanctuary of their own in the barnyard. And guests will come from around the world to have their hearts opened, fall in love, and evolve to gentleness like they have never known. It will be a place of hugs, love, joy, peace, healing, music, and beauty for all of us. We will be hosting private tours for high donors in early August, we will open to the public on August 26, and will be open to the public each Sunday thereafter. Please come volunteer or visit soon!