MCCOY, Texas – Roger and Sheri Mitzel gleamed with joy as they showed the 49-acre playground they created for people with different abilities to visit for free.
Jamie’s Ranch started operating as a nonprofit in 2015.
The property is named after the couple’s late daughter Jamie Mitzel, who suffered from a rare disorder called Batten disease before her death at the age of 20.
Jamie loved inviting her classmates to the ranch to play with horses, so the couple thought it would be fitting to continue the tradition for others.
“That’s our goal is to just give them a different experience for the day,” Roger said. “Everything’s set up for special needs kids and can be adjusted. Our hayride, everything is set up. We got a ramp. We can get the wheelchairs right up on the back of the hayride.”
They had a busy fall and are already booking up for the spring.
Roger said the need is there for schools, families and adult daycares that are looking for a place that offers this to people with different abilities.
The retired San Antonio Fire Department paramedic said his friends there played a huge part in helping them open their doors.
The programs are all free. Groups can make donations and volunteers are always needed, Robert explained.
“We can always use volunteers, but it has to be somebody who is willing to interact and work hard,” Robert said.
The couple said it takes a lot out of them to keep the ranch looking good and ready for visitors. They’re getting older, but they’ll keep the place open for as long as they can.
The majority of their programs cater to groups in Bexar County.
“We call them kids, but our youngest has been three years old and our oldest one special needs on a horse has been 83,” he said.
Donations of services, like updating their website, grant writers, hay and feed, and labor are all welcomed by the nonprofit.