About Us
Cedar Hill Sanctuary
Our Mission
Cedar Hill Sanctuary’s mission is to inspire compassion for animals, the land we live on, and each other by offering a safe, welcoming space where people and farm animals come together to experience growth, healing and connection. At Cedar Hill, we provide high-quality, specialized care to rescued farm animals, offer farm animal education programs, art therapy and education programs for all learners, with a focus on neurodiverse youth and adults, and provide experiential therapy to ensure the Cedar Hill community is accessible for everyone.
Our DEI Statement
Cedar Hill's mission of inspiring compassion for animals and each other means embodying inclusivity is in who we are. We celebrate people of every race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, and ability. Our farm land aims to serve a diverse population of people and farm animals while providing growth, healing and connection for all. Together, we strive to be a community of beings that is more different than alike. As such, we welcome volunteers, visitors, therapy participants and staff from all corners of the community.
Our Vision
Be a restorative space where people, animals, and the earth connect to heal and nurture one another and energize others to move the world toward greater compassion for all.
Our Vision Elements:
Provide exceptional, individualized animal care to ensure our residents live a life filled with companionship, love, health and enrichment.
Excel in compassionate programming by continuously developing innovative humane education initiatives, person-centered therapeutic services and responsive community engagement opportunities.
Respect and restore our natural environment by conserving biodiversity, demonstrating compassion for the earth, and engaging in regenerative and sustainable land practices for the benefit of all.
Support our team by investing in staff and volunteers through compensation, recognition, education and acceptance.
Create rippling influence and impact by embodying the compassion we seek, sharing our knowledge through accessible resources, and building local partnerships that nurture our community as a whole.
Ensure financial stability and growth through creative development initiatives and strategic succession planning to maximize long-term sustainability.
Our Core Values
UNWAVERING COMPASSION: When we say compassion, we mean it. We approach people and animals with gentleness, respect, and an understanding that each of us brings intrinsic value and our own unique story. We seek to become even more aware of that value when circumstances are challenging or unclear.
COURAGEOUS AUTHENTICITY: We are unapologetically imperfect and celebrate people and animals as they are. We embrace vulnerability and courageously show up as we are in the hopes that you will show up exactly as you are. That’s the world we want to live in and the community we want to create.
ENDURING CONNECTIONS: We build lasting relationships and create meaningful connections between people, animals, and each other.
SANCTUARY: We are profoundly committed to providing a safe place in the world where animals and people have their physical and emotional needs met. We ask that you approach all beings with kindness and an open mind. In return, we are dedicated to upholding a space that allows for hope, healing and growth.
HUMANE EDUCATION: We are here to get to the heart of what it means to be human and in relationship with animals and our world. We are a community of learners and pledge to share our knowledge with everyone to affect compassionate change. Both how we teach and the outcomes we seek are rooted in kindness.
STEADFAST INCLUSION: Whoever you are, there is a seat for you at our table. Together, we strive to be a community of beings that is more different than alike. We believe that you can’t serve a diverse world if you don’t embody that diversity. Our doors are open, come on in.
Cedar Hill Farm - Founded 1844
Original Wood Sign
Cedar Hill Sanctuary - Incorporated 2023
Nonprofit 501(3)(c)
OUR TEAM
Kelli McBride
Founder and Director of Programs - Kelli is our Founder and had the vision to start and build our not-for-profit organization. She has always had a passion for taking care of animals and nurturing them when they are sick. Her background is working with people that are neurodivergent and those with disabilities and are autistic, both youth and adult. Kelli has worked in both academia and professionally in improv. She is the owner of the Lark Comedy Institute in South Bend, Indiana, where she offers improv classes to youth and adults that are neurodivergent. Kelli provides leadership direction and oversees all projects, programs offered, and the opportunities for future growth and expansion. Kelli graduated from Western Michigan University with a Degree in Fine Arts and is an alum of Second City in Chicago.
Ed Moskal
Director of Operations - Ed provides support for day-to-day operations as well as short-term and long-term strategic planning. Ed has worked in the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries and has had two careers, one in industry as a consultant and the other in academia as a professor. Ed received his Undergraduate degree from Saint Peter's University in Business and Masters degrees from the University of Notre Dame in Administration and Stevens Institute of Technology in Management Science.
Sue McBride
Director of Philanthropy and Funding - Sue provides support for fund raising and working with other not-for-profit companies to build collaborations and partnerships. She helps us provide for the funding that will sustain us and build upon and enhance the great programs we have. Sue is an Executive Health Care Consultant and received her Undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in Business and a Masters from the University of Michigan in Health Management.
Christina Moskal
Director of Capital Budget, Payroll and Finance - Christina provides support for all of the financial aspects of our organization. Christina is a Business Administrator for a public school system responsible for all the financials and assets including managing capital improvement projects. Christina received her Undergraduate degree from Georgian Court University in Accounting and her Graduate degree from Georgian Court University with a Masters in Business Administration.