By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
This month, The Haven at Skanda launched a fundraising campaign to assist the sanctuary in making up a $50,000 funding shortfall due to COVID-19 cutbacks.
Located at 4000 Mosley Rd. in Cazenovia, Skanda is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for rescued farm animals and offering educational and preventative programs to the public.
“The Haven at Skanda supports love, hope and possibilities for every animal, child and person who visits the farm, and is dedicated to supporting children and responding to community needs,” said Ellen Beckerman, Skanda’s executive director. “[We give] rescued animals a safe, nurturing place to recover from abuse and emerge into a new life where they are respected, supported and loved. Children who arrive to Skanda’s innovative programs feeling depressed, fearful, and hopeless experience the incredibly pure love of the animals and find their joy, confidence, creativity and hope for the future. Skanda changes lives, in partnership with its generous, caring donors.”
In immediate response to the pandemic, Skanda acquired a temporary license from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services to provide emergency weekday childcare for parents who are essential personnel, highly stressed, or in need of relief. Care was also provided to children who were identified as high risk for abuse at home during the initial extended quarantine.
Skanda is currently running two children’s programs.
“We have a boys support group and a co-ed children’s program that runs after school and on weekend mornings to give kids an experience of freedom, joy and connection with the animals to soothe the stress they have been under this year,” said Beckerman.
The organization is also offering businesses, organizations and families the opportunity to invite farm animals to make appearances on their live video meetings through several “Zoom-topia” options.
“[The animals help] cheer everyone up, make the group laugh, break tension and Zoom exhaustion, and bring everyone a little hope and joy. . .” Beckerman explained. “It’s a great way to give people access to the animals who are so supportive and soothing, and to bring in much-needed donations for the animals.”
Skanda’s volunteer program is open to students, individuals and families.
Activities include feeding the animals, cleaning their living spaces, and grooming and socializing with them. Volunteers also help with special events, land maintenance, repairs, fundraising and administration.
“Our volunteers often comment that coming to Skanda is their little bubble of relaxation and joy in the midst of the pandemic and all the stress we are all feeling in our daily lives now,” said Beckerman.
According to Skanda’s fundraising appeal letter, the pandemic caused the corporate community to withdraw all funding for 2020, leaving Skanda in a “precarious spot” as winter approaches.
Currently, the sanctuary is caring for around 150 animals, including horses, miniature donkeys, pigs, goats, chickens and ducks.
“In the winter, the animals can’t forage on the frozen ground, so we need to feed them much more, and because they spend more time indoors because of cold, stormy weather and much shorter days, their bedding — sawdust and straw — needs to be changed more frequently,” Beckerman said. “So the cost of food and bedding goes way up in the winter.”
Beckerman added that Skanda also experiences higher electric bills during the cold months as a consequence of using heated water buckets to prevent freezing.
Additional challenges during winter include protecting the animals from predators, like fox and mink, keeping the farm clear of snow and the barns accessible, and completing necessary repairs and addressing issues in a timely manner.
“Winter is also the time of year when more animals urgently need to come to Skanda from [situations of] severe abuse and neglect,” said Beckerman. “This can often mean increased veterinary bills when the animals are in serious condition, along with [the costs of] creating housing and fenced-in outdoor spaces for them, and the added cost for food and bedding. Skanda is committed to taking in rescued animals whose lives are in jeopardy, and the need tends to go up dramatically in winter.”
All donations to Skanda go directly toward food, bedding and veterinary care for the animals.
Throughout the month of December, a donor will be matching all donations up to $5,000.
“[That means] donating now automatically doubles your gift at no cost to you,” said Beckerman. “What could be a better way to celebrate and support the innocence and love animals offer the world? For anyone looking to make an immediate, physical, lasting difference in the world, partnering with The Haven at Skanda to support rescued animals and our community’s most vulnerable children is a great way to do it.”
Donations can be made on Facebook at “The Haven at Skanda’s fundraiser” and on Skanda’s secure website at thehavenatskanda.org/give.
