Few people know the real scoop behind wildlife rehabilitation better than Helen Tucker. She is Piedmont Wildlife Rehab's little known and seldom thanked secret force. It would take a billboard sign and a truckload of money to begin to thank her properly.
So who is she and what does she do that is so special? To begin with, Helen is retired. That means she no longer works for pay but brings all of her skills, talents and life lessons to work with us for free because she loves people, hard work and animals. She is old school. That means to us she has work ethics. She enjoys hard work, challenges and doing something right because it is the right thing to do. Helen is a giver, her time, money, ear and shoulder.
Helen found PWR over a year ago and jumped in with hands and feet. She wanted the jobs no one else wanted to do and with a smile and a laugh took it all on. Recently we mentioned needing more squirrel nest boxes and that someday I would love a prize wheel for our fundraisers but could not afford it now. Within just a few weeks Helen produced not only her hand made nest boxes but a beautifully crafted and original prize wheel. She is a handy outdoors as in. Most of our days in the summer were spent out in the heat repairing or building cages, digging holes, shoveling sand or stacking brick, and working with the wildlife.
Helen is the kind of person that needs little direction, sees the need and jumps in. Helen helps with our educational programs and fundraisers but with a history of work as an IT we covet her help with our website, emails, paperwork and computer issues. We recognized her gifts and made her our Vice President of Administration.
Loving animals, Helen has gone beyond most in the number of hours spent and miles driven between High Point, Jamestown and Greensboro to work at one of our PWR homes, delivering supplies, picking up wildlife and runs to a Veterinarians. All of our rehabbers have benefitted from her help and although she is quick to tell you she is not a rehabber, she is! This year Helen took on 7 baby Opossums while someone took vacation and again recently her gentle hands perfectly attended to a humming bird.
Wildlife Rehabilitation is not all fun. There are often difficult decisions to make and heart aching things you must see and do. Although she did not have to, Helen has also helped with these hard things because she has the right stuff, the qualities of a good rehabilitator, willing to work hard and continue to learn and stretch.
Helen will be moving in a year or so and given we cannot move with her, I hope those she helps next will appreciate what she can offer. Helen, we don't often say it but thank you, for all you do, who you are, all the adventures and most of all for being our friend.
