My Nonprofit Reviews

I amazed at how many animals this caring, hard working organization searches out and assists, not only the great numbers of suffering, struggling animals but the large variety of species. Lady Freethinker reminds me daily how many different animals we are blessed to have in our world and how we can help them to not only survive but thrive.

It reminds me of when my mother mouse died suddenly and I was left with 13 week old orphans. I figured out a way to get the constantly grooming babies to finally lick up evaporated milk. I put it on all 13 babies’ foreheads where they were licking each other. It worked. When I finally took the fat and active “kids” to the pet store, I made it promise to sell them as pets, not food. They told me how large and healthy they were and they were already loving being held as well.

I was raised Navy. My brother and I were born in Rhode Island and transferred to Norfolk, Virginia. The life changing assignment was when we were literally shipped to Panama for three years when I was 7-10. This was in the mid-50s. The Navy was supervising the Panama Canal that was on long term lease to the US. All of the natives that we met in nearby towns were Black and spoke Spanish. They were hard working, cheerful, and willing to share and help anyone in need. (They loved my long red hair in its ponytail. It was so different.) (Yes, I am a Rhode Island Red…) We went to local schools off base where English was the foreign language and we learned Spanish.

Moving forward…Dad retired in Phoenix and I took more Spanish in high school. I became a teacher and librarian , teaching kindergarten through high school. I heard about Plan International a little over 40 years ago. I applied and adopted a small boy in a Spanish speaking country at my request. I wrote to him in Spanish. When he aged out, I adopted his brother. And now over 40 years later I adopt three families at a time. Usually Spanish speaking, but I no longer have preferences. It has been one of the most rewarding continuing experiences of my life! The photo is of our school.