Horsing Around for a Good Cause: Volunteers Transform Coachella Valley Horse Rescue

During this year’s American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Business Members Annual Meeting in Indian Wells, California, 24 volunteers, including Dave Jackson, a senior transit program manager for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) at Jacobs, gathered for a meaningful day of service at the Coachella Valley Horse Rescue.

Aiming to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome horses that have been abandoned, abused, neglected, or slated for slaughter, the Coachella Valley Horse Rescue provides these horses with a new lease on life and a chance for placement with a loving family.

The APTA volunteer team rolled up their sleeves and got to work on a variety of tasks to enhance the rescue facilities. Their efforts included repainting and sealing seating benches, giving the deck a fresh coat of paint and tackling the overgrown weeds and raking the grounds. The team also moved a small shed to a new base and leveled out a large horse pen using a tractor, shovels and rakes. 

“This opportunity to give back not only helped improve the living conditions for the horses but also fostered a sense of camaraderie and teamwork among the volunteers,” reflects Dave Jackson. “We left the event with a sense of accomplishment and the satisfaction of knowing we made a positive impact on the community. This day of service exemplifies the spirit of giving back and the importance of supporting local organizations that make a difference.”

The APTA community service activity at the Coachella Valley Horse Rescue is a shining example of how collective efforts can lead to significant improvements for the communities where we live, work and play. Such volunteer opportunities remind us of the power of teamwork and the positive impact we can have when we work together for a common cause. 

Jacobs is a longstanding APTA supporter, with several of our team members serving in leadership and committee roles, offering technical expertise and participating in community service initiatives to advance the public transportation industry.

Every day, our people around the world positively impact our clients and the communities in which we live and work. Through our approach to global giving and volunteering – the Collectively ™ program – we unite our more than 45,000 visionaries, dreamers and doers in a single platform for charitable giving and volunteering. This allows us to amplify the positive impact we make in our communities every day. Partnering with Benevity, we maximize our collective positive impact by measuring and tracking our employee giving, as well as our corporate citizenship and philanthropic activities.