Every year, Evluma gives each employee 8 hours of paid time to volunteer for a cause of their choosing — no strings attached, no fundraising quota. This year Marketing Director Cathleen Shattuck used her volunteer day to help at Saco River Wildlife Center in Limington, Maine.

SRWC rescues, rehabilitates, and releases sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife across Maine, funded entirely by donations — there’s little to no state or federal support for wildlife rehab. This year alone they’ve cared for over 1,300 animals. Volunteering, after the appropriate training, of course, is hands-on: feeding schedules, enclosure upkeep, and the unglamorous work that keeps a rescue running.

Because the choice of organization is up to each employee, the stories vary widely across the team — food bank collections, trail building, park clean-up days, and more. Evluma has long encouraged employees to volunteer, but a paid Volunteer Day makes it official — turning something people were already doing on their own time into a benefit the company actively supports. It’s a small thing on paper, but it fosters a culture of service that extends to coworkers and customers.

“I spent my day in June at Saco River Wildlife Center. Spring and early summer are ‘baby season’ — wildlife centers are flooded with orphaned and injured young animals — so a full day of help during that stretch makes a real difference,” says Shattuck. “I’m vaccinated to work with rabies vector species like bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes, which are harder for centers to find help with, but an average day can also include squirrels, woodchucks, porcupines, opossums and more. You never know what will come through the door — they all need help finding their way back to a wild home. But it’s not just about the animals — it’s about the people who find them, too. People want to help when they come across an injured or orphaned animal, but they don’t always have the tools to do it safely. A lot of what SRWC does is give people that knowledge, so people and animals can coexist a little more easily.” ”

If this is the first you’re hearing of Saco River Wildlife Center, here’s how to get involved:

– **Donate** — every dollar goes directly to rescue and medical care, specialized diets, enclosures, and supplies. You can give through their Givebutter page.
– **Send supplies** — they keep an Amazon wishlist for everyday needs like paper towels, cleaning supplies, and species-specific food.
– **Volunteer** — SRWC welcomes volunteers and interns; you can find current opportunities on their Get Involved page.