Ok Southern California, you have made me a believer. For never, in my wildest imaginations (and I can have some pretty wild ones) could I have predicted the outpouring of generosity and compassion for myself and the animals here at the sanctuary. To put it in financial terms, to date you have taken our bank account from a negative $1000 to a whopping $100,000 to the positive, with most of that amount hitting our mail box within 5 days of the article appearing in the Times. I was literally buried in donations and they are still coming in.
It took me two weeks to enter all the initial data into our financial software and I am still trying to find time to record the donations into our donor management program which then kicks out receipts and thank you letters. Oh, to have that problem all the time.
And therein lies the real benefit of all this generosity; hope. Yes, I was able to get hay, pay bills and hire a office helper. I stocked up on senior feed, scheduled dental work for the old horses and bought seed to plant in our hay fields for a harvest of hay next June. And it feels good to have a bit of a cushion as we go into winter.
But beyond the obvious day to day needs we all have up here, what we also needed was a good old fashioned dose of hope. We, the horses and I, needed to know people care about what happens to us. And regardless of the economy, geopolitics and all the other uncertainties of our modern world, the same basic things that were important a hundred years ago are important today: kindness, compassion, justice, truth and the simplicity found in the lives of animals.
It is interesting how the simple act of writing a check and attaching an encouraging note can have such a profound effect on the recipients. In simple terms bellies are full each night and tomorrow is more secure. But more complex is the effect of one opening an envelop, making note of the donation and then reading the endearing notes from the givers. One note came from a 91 year old LA resident who said in a world wanting for heroes, she had found one in me.
So, LA, you made me a believer. People care. Hope is alive and well. Kindness and compassion reign supreme and even the most ordinary person can be someones hero.
Thank you LA.
