Recently Jason's Connection's founder, Jason Harris, Founder of
Jason's Connection, talked with Megan Talbert, Executive Director, of
Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled. Since 1979, Helping
Hands has been helping adults with spinal cord injuries and other
mobility impairments throughout the United States live more independent
and engaged lives. They do this by providing them, free of charge, with a
unique service animal: a highly trained service monkey to help with
their daily tasks.
In this fascinating interview, Ms. Talbert
explains how having a service monkey can be life-changing for people
with mobility challenges, and the process of training and placing the
monkeys.
Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled's
mission is to improve the lives of those with spinal cord injuries and
mobility impairments. The service animals they provide bring more than
just a willing set of nimble hands to their recipients. They also bring
companionship, joy, and the renewed sense of purpose that comes from
taking responsibility for the health and well-being of another creature.
Their work encompasses all aspects of this service:
- They raise, train, and match the monkeys with carefully chosen recipients
- They provide extensive coaching and customized in-home training at the start of each placement
- They oversee each monkey’s lifelong behavioral, nutritional and medical needs
- They provide ongoing active support and mentoring for every partnership
- They place retired monkeys in loving homes where they are well cared for.
For more information on Monkey Helpers, please visit: http://www.monkeyhelpers.org/