Give and Give Back

It's just a week to Christmas Eve. Are you done with your shopping, or has your shopping done you in? Even more importantly, what will the impact of all your gift giving be on you, your loved ones and the world as a whole?

That last question has been going around in my mind this year. For years I've purchased, exchanged and then had to find a place to store gifts without thinking much about the process. When I was growing up, my parents always prided themselves on providing lots of gifts for everyone, even though we didn't have much money. Nothing was expensive, but there was a big pile of it. Of course, since kids want nearly everything they see, my brother and I thought it was great. The only problem came when it was time to take down the Christmas tree and find a place to put all of those gifts. My closet and drawers were full before Christmas, now they were even fuller.

As the years went by, we toned it down a little, but each member of both my family and my husband's family still gave several gifts each, and they expected to receive the same. Again, piles of stuff that we'd lived perfectly well without a week ago now needed a place to exist. We often didn't know what to give the others, nor did they know what we might want or need, but we bought and gave anyway. I didn't need or necessarily want much of what I received, and it ended up stacked in the basement. As I found out later, my in-laws had done the same. I don't regret the time I spent on trying to do something nice for them, but it made me sad to think of all the money we had all wasted on things that have sat for years still in the boxes.

This year I vowed to put a stop to the waste. I've asked everyone I exchange gifts with to exchange charitable donations to some of our favorite causes instead of buying things for each other. Instead of more stuff that neither of us want, I'd like to donate to an organization that they like to support, and I'd like it if they donated to an organization that I support.

I'm also spreading the word about my favorite non-profit organization, The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Founded by Carol Buckley and Scott Blais in 1995, the sanctuary provides a home for sick, old and needy elephants on 2700 beautiful acres of old growth forest, pastures, ponds and even a 25 acre lake. It's a well deserved retirement for Asian and African elephants who have spent years in zoos and circuses.

Why Tennessee? Well, the climate in Middle Tennessee is subtropical, quite similar to the native climate of these elephants. They are free to walk for miles each day, graze the grasses and browse the trees, eat fresh blackberries that they pick fresh from the brambles with their trunks. Caregivers, not keepers, bring hay, grains and produce to them three times a day, no matter where they have roamed in the environment. Many of the residents have foot and joint problems, caused by years of confinement in circus trucks and concrete or asphalt parking lots for those who worked in the circus, or in small, hard packed enclosures and concrete floored barns in zoos. They need medication and/or foot soaks, and those are also brought to them daily.

Sounds a bit like a 5 star resort, doesn't it? I wish I could retire in a place that nice. Everyone who works at The Elephant Sanctuary loves "The Girls" dearly, and it causes their donors to share that feeling. We also love the elephants, and I'd much rather know that my family has donated to feed Winkie or Sissy for a day than receive yet another gift that I don't really need.

If you have that one last person on your list, and you don't know what to buy them, why not ask about their favorite charity? If someone asks desperately what you want, suggest a donation to your favorite organization, perhaps The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. You'll both feel good, and you'll be doing good also.

Elephants need your Verizon Cellphones

Tennessee is known as a place to hear great music. There's a history of folk and country music in the mountains of Eastern Tennessee, Nashville is the home of the country music industry, and Memphis is the place for blues. But if you get off of the interstate and wander the back roads southwest of Nashville, you may hear something special. If you're lucky and the wind is just right, the sound of trumpeting may come your way. Is it jazz or a marching band? No, it's music made by some very happy elephants!

Elephants? In Tennessee? Yes, they are the lucky residents of The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. A haven for old, sick or needy elephants, it is the home to both Asian and African elephants who have been retired from zoos and circuses. The nineteen residents, all female, have free range on 2700 acres of old growth forests, pastures and spring fed ponds. There are heated barns where they can come and go as they please. It's like a great resort for them. No matter where the elephants wander on the grounds, the caregivers bring food and medical treatments to them several times a day.

Getting back to cellphones, the staff uses them to stay in contact everywhere in the sanctuary. Hauling food out to each elephant three times a day, providing fresh drinking water and administering foot soaks and other necessary treatments are just some of the duties in the field. Back at the barns, the stalls need to be cleaned and pressure washed every day, and there are always new construction projects and maintenance to be done on the fences, equipment, buildings and grounds. The daily activities take a toll on their cell phones. They can get banged around, dropped and dunked into foot baths, mud puddles or worse.

This is where you come in. The Elephant Sanctuary is a non-profit organization, licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. They receive no state or federal funds, and they rely entirely on public contributions, member support and in-kind contributions. If you have a spare Verizon compatible cellphone from 2005 or newer, please donate it to the staff. Phones need to be in good working condition, and matching chargers are also appreciated. Come to the Wish List for more information and the address to send your phone.

How much does it cost the sanctuary to take care of their elephants? It takes about $1,000 for food, dietary supplements and regular veterinary care for each elephant, each month. With nineteen elephants in residence, that's more than a quarter of a million dollars per year, not counting staff salaries and operating costs for the facilities. Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated.