Rikki’s Refuge needs your Volunteer Help

Remember, I’ve said it before. If you don’t hear from me, it’s not because I’m goofing off, it’s because I’m to busy to even pick up the phone and scream for help. We’re very swamped right now. Had a nasty contagious virus come in on a cat from South Carolina and we’ve now had dozens of cases of it. This calls for all night stints.

With the end of summer and the beginning of school, Jonathan, a lovely 16 year old boy who’d volunteered EVERY DAY all summer long, has left us to go back to school. I tried to explain to his mom that this was a far better education but ...

Basil, who has worked here since last fall, first weekends and then full time all summer long, has reached that sassy sixteen and decided he has better things to do than work weekends anymore. He left a phone message quitting with no notice what so ever. So we’re short staffed until that weekend position can be filled.

One of our staff has been ill and may need some extended time off, making us short off and on during the week.

Wayne, our hero, continues to be here virtually every day doing what ever. He hauls gunk to the dump. Cleans what ever needs it. Hauls water when the well is acting up. He took early retirement, moved away from the city life, bought a home near the Refuge, just to volunteer full time.

I need more Wayne’s. But if you can’t be a Wayne, at least please be a volunteer. Come this weekend ready to work. It ain’t glamorous but it’s got to be done. Scooping, mowing (thankfully with the dry weather it isn’t too long), and loving critters.

If you’ve always wanted that perfect job - it’s your chance to apply now. 540-854-0870 x8 Or be here at 8 am Saturday or Sunday morning to audition for the job.

And it’s never just one thing. We’re a bit short in the financial department too. I had to borrow some bucks to cover things for August. Vet bills were higher than usual with all the sick cats. Semi-annually we order a lot of our drugs. I picked up over $500 of drugs at Culpeper Pharmacy yesterday and the new check out lady said “WOW !!”. She seemed shocked when I said, “Yes, and I’ll be back for more next week.” Just had to restock on vaccines, Feluk/FIV test kits, Heartworm/Lyme test kits. All it takes is a few extra bills for $500 or $700 here or there and we’re scraping the bottom of the bucket.

Jan did a wonderful thing and I’ll tell you about that later. She was the absolutely FIRST to donate in a new and exciting way. Jan is always at the forefront of innovative ideas for Rikki’s Refuge. If you can log on to http//www.paypal.com today and make a donation using mail@rikkisrefuge.org it will be greatly appreciated.

We’re going to have to put in a new well in the very near future too. And I need real help with this one. Not just financially but who’s got some expertise they can lend me? We have a relatively shallow well and it’s running out. Some days we do good. Others we’re hauling in water. Thank you Mike for that 125 gallon tank. Those of you who turn on city water have no idea what it’s like when you turn the faucet and nothing happens. It’s your problem. We’ve been using 2.5 gallon jugs to haul water. It takes a long time to fill and a long time to lug out and empty.

Our critters drink 400 gallons of water a day. DRINK. Then the cleaning takes about that much again on a light day. Forget laundry. You should see Lena down at the creek with a washboard. And water is heavy. That 125 gallon tank holds about 1,000 pounds of water. No kidding. Lots of weight. Thank you Daddy for the pick up which is running great and has no trouble hauling over 1,000 pounds at a time. I promise I’ll get time to call you soon.

So we need to be saving up the $s for a well. If you know a reliable, honest well company let me know. I’m hoping to talk to the experts and get some recommendations in the next week or so. In the meantime, if you can’t dig me a well, at least come scoop a cat run or dog run.

Thanks, Kerry