You might be enjoying the whole day off for Labor Day. But one local woman is working all day without getting paid.
Wait – what?
Her name is Joanna Sampath and she's giving up her time to help two furry sisters thrive.
Joanna Sampath is now on her 6th year volunteering with the Central Florida Animal Reserve, a big cat and wildlife sanctuary. She's at the St. Cloud reserve 3-4 times a week.
Sampath used to work in a nursing home, and then with animal nutrition at a pet store chain. Her job got eliminated in December of 2021, so, since then, the Animal Reserve has also been her sanctuary. “Human beings that love and appreciate (the tigers) and act on their behalf, that's really one of the best things that you can do.”
She does everything from big cat meal prep, raking animal waste, scrubbing enclosures, to creating enrichment activities. During our visit on Labor Day, two other volunteers were present. Nearly 30 put in their time year round.
If you want to help care for an interact with all kinds of big cats, like Joanna does, the Central Florida Animal Reserve needs volunteers.
You can also take part in the brand new “Big Cat Hero” program to connect you like never before. It's a sponsorship program that supports efforts to provide a home for animal residents like Aurora and Tiana – the 1-year-old tiger cub sisters. They came from North Carolina and have been under local care for 4 months.