The PRC’s On-Site Volunteer Program plays a vital role in keeping our daily routine at the sanctuary running smoothly. On-site volunteers assist care staff with food preparation, enrichment, and cleaning. They also have the opportunity to observe primate behavior, interact with primates from a safe distance, and gain the satisfaction of knowing they are improving the lives of chimps and monkeys.
Our Off-Site Volunteers are also an important addition to our caregiving team. Off-site volunteers create fun enrichment items from home for the primates to eat, smell, rip to shreds, or just generally enjoy. They also can become fund raisers for the PRC chimps and monkeys by hosting donation drives or special events to promote our sanctuary’s mission.
We’re happy to announce and welcome 8 new volunteers to the PRC’s On-Site Animal Care crew, one new volunteer to our Off-Site Volunteer program, and one on-site volunteer becomes an official Veteran Volunteer as well!
Renee Tevis is a resident of Richmond, KY and is interested in becoming a veterinary technician. She became an on-site volunteer in November 2016, and has worked a total of 25 hours volunteering on Tuesdays.
Liz Unkraut commutes each week from Hebron, KY and joined the on-site volunteer team in December 2016. Liz works with us each Sunday and hopes to someday become a zookeeper or sanctuary caregiver. Liz has volunteered a total of 52 hours since she began.
Mike Johnson became an on-site volunteer in December 2016, and joins us each Tuesday from Lexington, KY. Mike is a social media and website manager as well as a trail guide at Red River Gorge, and has volunteered 80 hours at the sanctuary.
Elissa Keicher is a registered nurse from Georgetown, KY and became an on-site volunteer in December 2016. She has a very smart red heeler dog, and a cat who knows lots of fun tricks. Elissa has volunteered a total of 72 hours at the PRC.
Susan Neale became an on-site volunteer with us in December 2016 and is a resident of Danville, KY. As a retiree from Tattersalls Horse Sales, Susan keeps very busy with many other volunteering jobs in the local area. Susan has worked 34 hours with us on Wednesday mornings each week.
Erin Markel is a student in Lexington, KY and began off-site volunteering with us in January 2017. Erin created a very beautiful collage for the chimps, with many perfume samples attached for them to enjoy.
Kathy MacGillivray, a resident of Lexington, became an on-site volunteer in January 2017. Kathy is a veterinarian at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, specializing in internal medicine for horses. Kathy has volunteered a total of 11 hours at the sanctuary.
Andrew Dunaway is a resident of Lexington, KY and became an on-site volunteer at the PRC in January 2017. Andrew works at the 21C Museum Hotel, Pet Wants, and is an Uber driver, but hopes to someday become a zookeeper and work with big cats. Andrew works with us on Wednesday afternoons, and has volunteered a total of 14 hours.
Jennifer Cockerell joined the on-site volunteer program in January 2017, and is a resident of Lexington, KY. Jennifer has a beautiful part husky dog named Neville, and she works in human resources for Exceptional Living Centers. Jennifer joins us each Sunday and has volunteered a total of 18 hours.
We are so thankful to all of our volunteers for the many hours they dedicate to helping us care for the primates who call the PRC home, and we are glad that Renee, Liz, Mike, Elissa, Susan, Erin, Kathy, Andrew, and Jennifer have become a part of this amazing team.
We also would like to announce that On-Site Volunteer Michelle Meeker, who joined the team in January 2016, is officially a Veteran Volunteer after 1-year of consistent volunteering at the sanctuary. Michelle is currently an Animal Studies major at EKU. Monkeys have always been one of her favorite type of animal, and when she learned about the PRC she immediately knew she wanted to be a part of our organization. We are so thankful for Michelle’s dedication to caring for the PRC primates, and we value her strong work ethic and friendly personality. Thanks Michelle!
For more information on becoming a PRC volunteer, visit our Volunteer Webpage and check out the many options within our volunteer program. We are currently accepting applications for all types of volunteers, and encourage you to consider getting involved today in this rewarding opportunity.