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6 days ago

Quarterly Update: July to September

As we write this, we’re sitting outside with the chickens. Ellie is stretching his legs, wandering around on the grass while Penny is right behind him, foraging and chirping for his attention. Henry, Sophie, and Alma are having their promenade as well, and instead, they are choosing to dig around in the fallen leaves. We love this life we’ve been privileged enough to live, and it’s the greatest joy of our life. It’s been a difficult year, with so much loss sometimes, it feels impossible to move forward, but it’s moments like this that make everything worth it. Thank you for coming on this journey along with us. We hope you’ll enjoy reading below how you’ve made it all possible.


Liz & Craig Wheeler

Co-Founders of Secondhand Stories

 

Chicken Care

  • We’ve had to say goodbye to three hens: Margaret, Angie & Maggie. Each of them carried such a special place in our hearts, and it’s been a struggle to adjust to not seeing them run out of their coops each morning. It’s when our hearts are breaking that we find comfort in knowing we weren’t alone in mourning them. You have all been so wonderful and thoughtful in helping us process  - especially with Maggie - who many of you know Liz called her chicken soulmate. We push on in their honour, knowing that even if we have only a short while with them, it’s worth knowing they were loved every second with us.


  • After months of preparation and building, we finally moved Ellie inside to his very own bedroom! From the moment he set his feet on the padded inside mat, we think he knew that he found paradise. Since his move-in date, we’ve been bringing him outside for his daily sun & dust bathe, after which he’ll usually settle in for a movie with us on the couch. He’s the best rooster roommate ever!


  • In September, Henry was seen at Lynwood Animal Hospital by one of Canada’s only board-certified avian specialists. Dr. Roscoe checked out Henry’s eye, which has been a source of worry for us since he first joined our family. We’ve tried various treatments and medications and are happy to report that his new regime is working well. Henry’s been keeping his eye open more often and seems much more comfortable. 


  • One of the most exciting things this quarter was welcoming Penny to our family. Penny was surrendered with severe leg deformities that cause her to have difficulty walking. We’ve brought her to the vet and come up with a plan that includes building her a wheelchair, checking her regularly, and providing her with comfort management medication. If you’d like to donate to Penny’s care, you can contribute to her Wheels in Motion page here.


  • We also were able to welcome the RODEO to town. Ruthie, Oats, Daisy, Emma & Olive have been an absolute hoot and a half. They were welcomed to Oscar & Mocha’s flock to help with Oscar’s excitement in mounting Mocha. Now he has six wives! Mocha is still unsure about her new sisters but has been enjoying the last bits of summer nonetheless.



2024 Goals

Summer was busier than we could have ever anticipated. As we grow our flock, we realize how naive our goals were at the beginning of the year. Hosting a read-a-thon?! Really? While we set goals for a purpose - to help plan and guide our mission - we’ve taken a critical look at what we hoped to achieve and thought about how it would ultimately influence the change we want to see. While hosting a read-a-thon was a great idea, the purpose behind it was to raise funds. After looking into the planning and coordinating, we realized there were more effective way to reach our goals. 


So instead, moving forward until it’s time to set our 2025 goals, we’ll use this section to highlight some of the work that wasn’t on our bingo card but helped us grow:


  • We ran two Vegan Lindor Chocolate fundraisers, raising over $800.

  • Craig wrote a guest blog for Legal Impact for Chickens.

  • We expanded two outdoor runs for Mocha, Oscar, Ezra, Gunta & Jewel.

  • Liz spoke at the International Animal Rights Conference about lobbying the government for change (recording here!)

  • We hosted our first-ever Open House, which was a resounding success.

  • We participated in the Caregiving is Activism Series. 

  • Liz spoke about farm sanctuaries at the Canadian Animal Law Conference.



Finances

When folks told us operating a chicken sanctuary would be expensive, we never imagined it would mean twenty-seven-thousand-dollars-expensive. Yet here we are, three-quarters of the way through the year, looking at how we’ve turned those donations into a life where chickens can retire, rest and spend their lives in natural peace. Below is a breakdown of how funds have been used this year:

Medical:

End-of-life care for Cora, Georgie, Daisy, Maggie & Angie. Implants for Cora, Margaret, Gunta, Angie, Sophie, Alma & Mocha. Ongoing medication for Jewel, Henry, Margaret and Angie. Mites treatment for all flocks. Medical exams and x-rays. Cleaning supplies, first aid kit and bumblefoot/arthritis footwear for Ellie & Henry. Henry's eye exam. Penny's exam.


Shelter

Wood and supplies for new perches and Ellie's indoor coop, sanctuary welcome sign, chicken wire/posts /gate supplies for expanded runs,


Operations

Website Hosting Renewal (2 Years), Donor Database Fee, Donation Form Fees (Donorbox, Stripe, Paypal), Banking Fees, Includes 50/50 Draw sent to Winner. Also of note is that we received a grant for $1,300 that covers the cost of our donor database fees.


Chicken Care

Feed, bedding, enrichment (i.e. mealworms), and an investment in new fans.


Events

Open House (Tent Purchases, Portable Toilet and Table Rentals), Tabling Fees & Insurance, Merch Investment Costs, U-Haul Rental for May Event Weekend.


Fulfillment

Mailing sponsorship packages, gas for delivery volunteer, and the purchase of Lindt chocolates for resale (raising $600).


Marketing Wix Email Marketing Plan (this amount was adjusted to reflect a refund from Wix)

Our supporters have made this possible. Your individual donations, book purchases, and commitment to our monthly donor program, The Kind Friends Club, all help us tremendously.


How You Can Help!

In our quarterly updates, we want to highlight ways for you to get involved with Secondhand Stories. Check it out:





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