We now have a treasurer. Someone to keep us on track financially was always going to be the best thing we ever did. Christine is organised, driven, passionate, supportive, knowledgable about all the things the rest of the team are not, and of course she is in love with animals. Basically, she adds to the team ten-fold.
It was Christine’s initiative to get the ball rolling on donation boxes. We know have TWELVE! These donation boxes, and the businesses that support them, are a small miracle in the lives of the animals and people here at Sugarshine. They are collected once a month and always have money in them, every one. Each donation box averages to $30 a month, which is EPIC from where we’re standing. The cute toy animals and fake grass found inside them must help. Each box also has a picture of Primula the bobby calf and Romeo the piglet, if you spot one of these gorgeous boxes around the Far North Coast, feel free to part with your spare change…
You don’t have to live in Lismore in order to support us through our donation boxes. They are spread all over the Far North Coast. However buying a delicious treat for yourself or your pet is definitely a requrement! Please show all the support you can for these businesses. Scratch and Sniff in Ballina, The Spotted Pig in Lindendale, Helens Heavenly Foods in Burleigh, Flour of Life Bakery in Helensvale, Go Vita at Ballina Fair, Coffee and Kitchen in East Ballina, Healthy Life in the lismore shopping square, The Beet in Byron Bay, The Garden Plate in Lismore, Spacebars Ice-creamery stall, Zeebras Cafe in Casino, and Landy’s Bulk Foods Alstonville. A special mention goes to Pacific Bulk Foods in Lismore, who usually have our box proudly displayed on their counter, but due to recent flooding have not found their box just yet. Also keep an eye out for a box at Flock in Lismore.
It is customary for stores in Australia to have a donation box sitting on the counter. Rather than ignoring them, why not spend your loose change on a worthy cause, and support a charity that needs your help?
]]>Our wonderful volunteers (you know who you are), were our sanity during the day. Like we’ve said many times before, you make Sugarshine. All those who give us their days-off and work themselves to the bone to support the animals are what make doing this Sanctuary thing possible. Steve and team from Flour of Life Bakery in Helensvale, were the real hero’s of the day. Steve made over 400 vegan sausages from scratch just for us. They were delicious, and we were beyond lucky for the help of the Bakery, because if we hadn’t had them swoop in at the last minute we would have been without enough sausages for the sold-out day that we had! So thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.
We were pleasantly surprised by the response to the vegan sausages. Lismore is a progressive place as it is, but Bunnings Warehouse doesn’t exactly attract that crowd we would normally have at our Farm Animal Sanctuary Volunteer days. Most people were surprised about the new form of cylindrical protein. Surprise did not lead to disgust in many cases, and we can confidently say the day was a success!
It’s safe to say Bunnings can look forward to some more Vegan Sausages in the future.
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‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’- Margaret Mead
Living this life of animals, animals, animals all the time, we’re never alone, but it can get lonely. Most people don’t understand why, or how it’s done. They expect animals to exist as pets and food and that’s it. For us, they are life. They love, live and breathe. They eat and poop, (a lot) just like me and you – although you may not admit to the pooping part… It is exhausting and sometimes devastating work, but we would not have it any other way. It is all worth it just to experience one happy pig, one cheerful chicken or one leaping goat.
Sometimes the work gets so much that we have to ask for help, and that’s okay. It’s okay not to be okay. That’s why we love hearing from you, Sugarshiners. You remind us that there are people out there who care as much as we do, and who want to see us succeed in cherishing ALL life. Sugarshine Farm Animal Sanctuary runs on those who are committed to the little things that make life better. Sugarshine Farm Animal Sanctuary runs on that one brave soul who realised at the last minute it was not okay to put to sleep that fully-functional greyhound. Sugarshine Farm Animal Sanctuary runs on that one soul who saw a tiny goat kid being sold for meat, and decided to say no. Sugarshine Farm Animal Sanctuary runs on the people who had a spur-of-the-moment decision to drive to the sanctuary and leave a kind note and gift in the mailbox. Sugarshine Farm Animal Sanctuary runs on the more than 50 different people who took time out of their day to simply comment an adorable photo of their beloved furry friends on our facebook status. Sugarshine Farm Animal Sanctuary runs on those who use their talents to share our stories with millions all over the world. Sugarshine Farm Animal Sanctuary runs on those who value their time, and decide to spend it picking up poo, building shade sleeping structures and speaking sweet words to the animals. Sugarshine Farm Animal Sanctuary is run by YOU, the kind and most beloved souls that love animals as much as we do, and show it to us every day.
To each and every one of you that has donated a piece of their heart to this sanctuary in whichever way, the pigs, goats, sheep, cows, chickens, turkeys, foxes, dogs and humans say thank you.
Please continue to send your words of support, they are everything to us.