GEORGETOWN, Del. - A call for help from Sussex Academy Elementary led to a wave of community support that transformed the school’s small animal sanctuary, just in time for winter.
Thanks to donations of materials, labor and expertise, the campus’s goats, sheep and chickens now have safer, more comfortable homes said the school.
The school reached out in late fall asking for assistance in upgrading its aging animal enclosures. What followed was an outpouring of generosity that Elementary Dean Connie Hendricks described as “heartwarming.”
“What started as a maintenance request ended up becoming a masterclass in local partnership and generosity,” Hendricks said.
Joe Wobeter, a parent of a Sussex Academy student, took the lead and brought in his colleague, Dan Matta, from Schell Brothers. Matta assessed the condition of the sanctuary structures and coordinated a volunteer team to complete the renovations during school breaks.
Every part of the project, from planning and labor to materials, was donated. (Sussex Academy Elementary)
Every part of the project, from planning and labor to materials, was donated.
Ryan Reed, owner of Atlantic Millwork, supplied flooring materials for the goat and sheep shed, while Schell Brothers provided new siding for both the shed and the chicken coop. Julio Burgess from the school’s maintenance team added a new gate and windows to improve lighting and airflow in the coop.
With the enclosures now updated and weather-ready, Sussex Academy plans to relaunch its animal care program this spring.