Joan - Pet Tails Magazine

Page 6 February March 2012 ~Spay & Neuter Your Pets ~ Pet Tails
Volunteers–where
would many organizations be
without them? These special
people are the backbone of
many charitable groups. I
truly believe God sends angels
in the guise of volunteers. My
wildlife refuge is no exception.
We could not survive without
these wonderful people.
I realized this
two years ago when I was
diagnosed with rheumatoid
arthritis (RA). It came on me
suddenly with all the pain
typically associated with RA.
It was in my hands and arms
and it was almost impossible
for me to hold and feed baby
wildlife, clean cages, or do
any chores. From that early
time I went from bad to worse.
I was also diagnosed with
osteoarthritis in both my legs
and knees.
Because of these
issues I became very attached
to my couch–I was barely able
to move. But I’m a realist. I
knew that I might have to give
up operating the refuge, and
stop caring for the hundreds
of baby wildlife that came
into the refuge each year. My
husband, Jim, agreed with me.
We both knew he would not
Allison Lindsay is a
freelance writer and
animal lover, living in
the Smoky Mountains of
North Carolina. To contact
Allison, email her at allison.
wieringa@gmail.com.
be able to handle the refuge
by himself. It needed the pair
of us to maintain the level
of standards we had set for
the refuge. With our decision
made, I informed my good
friend and Vice President
Donna Hamilton about what
we needed to do.
To say that this
decision made us unhappy is
an understatement; it affected
us deeply. But the
one thing I had not
counted on was the
indomitable spirit
of volunteerism.
Within 24 hours, six
“angels” showed up
at my door. They
all knew what they
had to do, courtesy
of Donna. Animals
were fed, cages
cleaned, outside
bird feeders cleaned
and replenished
with fresh birdseed,
bird baths cleaned
and fresh water
added. And they
didn’t forget the
squirrels either.
Donna was in charge of the
work force. She also attacked
the housework with all the
extras that are necessary for
running and maintaining a
home/refuge. She did this on a
daily basis.
Seeing the dedication
from these terrific people
made me determined to seek
help for this disease. I know
I’ll never be free of RA, but
by seeing an RA specialist I
now have it under control with
medication. Although I’m not
back to my old normal, I’m
now able to handle a lot of
the work. But with volunteers
being how they are, they don’t
allow me to do much. When I
try to share some of the load,
I hear the same thing from all
of them: we can manage, leave
us alone, we will do this...
Two years later the
refuge is still going strong. The
volunteers–bless them–are
still doing what they do. I’ve
resigned myself to the couch,
working on crossword puzzles
and my second book.
Volunteers,
God bless them!
Kelly Galbraith,
Donna and Jim
Hamilton, Connie and
Lawrence Hiebert,
Noah Meyers, Pam
and Joe Monahan,
Katie Ocana, Brenna
Perez, and William
Powell.
As always, if
you are interested in
becoming a volunteer,
call Evelyn at 757-
430-2886 or e-mail
her at rehabwild@
cox.net.