Eric Baizer is an indispensable gift to Leilani Farm Sanctuary. He does two-hour morning rounds on Thursdays—collecting manure, feeding the animals, providing them with fresh water and making sure they get plenty of pats. They’re all happy to see him, especially the sheep, who greet him with loud, excited bleats because they know he’s carrying a goodie bag full of treats.

While he’s there, he also picks up the cats’ bedding, washes it at home and returns it the next day. He compiled a database of foundations and is writing grant proposals on behalf of the sanctuary. In addition, he improved the content and design of our website and took on the responsibility of maintaining it as our webmaster.

Before he retired in 2017, Eric enjoyed a 42-year career in writing, editing, public relations, grants management and website development in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. He moved to Ha‘ikū, just two miles from the sanctuary, that year.

An animal lover and vegan advocate, Eric had previously done extensive Internet research on organizations aligned with his beliefs and values, thinking volunteer work would provide him with a sense of purpose when he retired. Prior to relocating from California, he identified our sanctuary as a good fit, and since 2018, he has been generously donating his time, knowledge and skills to support our important cause.

Eric doesn’t have one favorite animal, but he’s fond of many of the cats, including Mickey and Jazz, and also the goats, particularly Jemima and Nancy. And, he says, “How can you not love Lehua the donkey?”

According to Eric, volunteering at the sanctuary brings numerous rewards. “You develop friendships with many of the animals,” he says, “and you can visit them as often as you like. It feels good to help them out a little and get some exercise in an environment that’s infinitely more beautiful than any gym. Plus, there’s something profoundly soothing about seeing hundreds of happy animals of many species with the freedom to live exactly the way they want. Leilani Farm Sanctuary is a one-of-a-kind place on Maui.”

Would you like to join Leilani Farm Sanctuary’s ‘ohana as a volunteer? Please email Founder and President Laurelee Blanchard at info@leilanifarmsanctuary.org for information.