It’s time to look back on 2024! Check our blog between Christmas and New Year’s for a variety of stories and memories of 2024 from the staff and volunteers of the Wildlife Center of Virginia
This year, one of the standout moments was receiving an unexpected donation from Amazon: 6,000 pounds of animal food and supplies. The scale of the donation was overwhelming in the best way possible. It was a moment of gratitude and excitement—but first, we had to figure out how to move all of it!
I recruited the help of my coworkers, Michael and Grace, and we rolled up our sleeves to get to work. After picking up a U-Haul truck, we pulled into the Amazon loading area, parking our small box truck amidst a sea of tractor-trailers. Together with the Amazon team, we hand-loaded every single bag of dog food, cat food, bird seed, blankets, and more into the truck. It was hard work, but as we passed bag after bag down the line, there was a shared sense of accomplishment that made the task feel more rewarding than exhausting.
Once everything was loaded into the truck, we made our way back to the Wildlife Center, where a group of staff and students awaited to help unload the donation. The phrase “many hands make light work” couldn’t have been more true. With more than 15 people hauling bag after bag into the library for sorting, the truck was unloaded in no time.
Afterward, we shifted gears to reorganize storage space to accommodate the supplies. It took some creativity and coordination, but we made it happen. We were even able to share this incredibly generous donation with our friends at the Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary and the local animal shelter.
Looking back, that day was about so much more than logistics. It was a powerful reminder of the generosity that fuels our mission and the incredible dedication of my coworkers. Together, we coordinated a massive donation, ensuring it became a valuable resource for our patients-- and a day worth remembering.
— Amber Buck, Operations Manager