You might not need those old mascara wands once you’re done with them, but there are some rescue animals who could use them and are hoping you’ll send them their way.
Repurposed mascara wands can be used to remove fly eggs and larva from the fur and feathers of wild animals. They work great because the bristles are close together.
Volunteers at animal rescue centres across the country are helping small wildlife, like ducklings. They get cleaned up safely and efficiently, relying on people like Telus director of mobility operations Kim Vey.
“Two months ago, my daughter and I were cleaning up and throwing out old stuff not needed. We came across some old mascara wands when she told me she had heard of them being used to help clean rescue animals in the U.S.,” said Vey. “I thought it was a great way to help the little animals that most may not think of.”
Vey works at the Telus offices at the Bayfield Mall and, after looking into the campaign more, was so touched by how this simple solution could help wildlife that she committed herself and some colleagues to collect and distribute more than 500 mascara wands to rescue organizations across Canada.
“I started reaching out to our offices all over the country to see if we could have them collect their wands and we set a goal of 500 in a year,” said Vey. “We’re two months in and have collected 300 already. It's so inspiring to see.”
The campaign is called the Wand-Raiser and goes hand-in-hand with the Telus Days of Giving across Canada, an annual volunteer movement that inspires people to collectively make a positive difference in local communities.
The initiative also has another side to it with a great local feel.
“We parcel up all the wands and get them to shelters that need them, but what I also do is contact shelters close to some of our offices and connect Telus employees with the shelter for volunteering,” said Vey. “It really helps make that connections even stronger in the community and with the animals.”
In some shelters, such as the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge, the wand initiative has given so much that they have to limit the donations to only October and February.
If you’d like to give, you can mail mascara wands to Kim Vey, c/o TELUS, 320 Bayfield St., Ste. 201, Barrie, ON L4M 3C1.
