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Save the Date
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6th Annual Boston Red Sox Fundraiser
Sunday, June 19th
Reception: 11:30am
Red Sox Game: 1:05
Tickets are limited - go to our event website to buy yours today!
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Jeep Rally
| | Visit JeepRally.org
to learn about this group who has decided to donate proceeds from their upcoming event to us!
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Greetings!
Hello from Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers! Summer kicks off a busy time of year for us - especially now since we have many new placements planned in the coming months.
A great way to help us raise funds to support these placements is to attend our 6th Annual Red Sox Fundraiser. Tickets are on sale now with only three weeks left, so make sure to buy yours today! This fundraiser is always a favorite amongst our supporters and not to be missed. Plus, there is the unique opportunity to check out some Red Sox memorabilia and walk around the warning track at Fenway Park post game. What a great gift to give your dad!
As always, we haven't forgotten to feature a new monkey and task in this issue. Read on to learn about Ways to Get Involved, monkey in training Rebecca, and "Bell Task Training".
Sincerely,
Noelle and all of your friends at Helping Hands Monkey Helpers
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Placement Update
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Spring Appeal follow up with Maryanne and Jessica
Many of you may remember the February e-newsletter when we introduced our 150th monkey helper recipient pair, Maryanne and Jessica. Maryanne recently shared more of her story with us in our Spring Appeal Letter. By now you've all received it in the mail. To those of you who have already responded- thank you. If you have not donated to the appeal yet, please consider doing so today by clicking here.
Below is a powerful reminder of why we ask you to give:
In a matter of hours my life changed. I am paralyzed, not as a result of a catastrophic injury, but due to a sudden blood clot that formed on my spine. When I got back from rehab, it felt like I was a stranger in my own home.
Once my monkey helper, Jessica arrived, it was love at first sight! We're a team now, she and I, helping each other get through the day. The tasks Jessica helps me with are important to me and make my life so much easier. Having Jessica has put me back in a caregiver role again, giving me purpose. With that purpose, I am distracted from the pain, loneliness, and isolation I found in the chair. I will forever be grateful to this amazing organization for bringing us together. 
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Get Involved
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Wish List Drive and what your donation can do for us
These days, with so many charities to support, we are very honored when someone chooses to become a member of the Helping Hands community by donating. People often ask us if a "small" donation actually helps our program. Let us assure you - it does! Every dollar is put to good use. Below is a brief breakdown of what specific amounts of money mean to our program: $25 - provides fresh fruit for our monkeys at The Monkey College $50 - provides treats like peanut butter for training $100 - supplies one monkey with their favorite fleece blankets and toys $250 - provides monkey chow for one monkey for one year $350 - helps with plane tickets for staff trainers to travel to the home of a recipient for a new placement or follow-up evaluation $500 - assists with home and equipment modifications made in a new placement $1,000 - provides active placement support for one monkey helper recipient for one year Sometimes people are not in a position to donate money, but still want to help. By holding a Wish List Drive, you can solicit in-kind donations from local businesses to send to The Monkey College. Below is a list of items that we use everyday at our facility and are always in high demand!
 1) Unshelled, unsalted walnuts
2) Uncut polar fleece for monkey blankets
3) New or gently used towels
4) Tear free baby shampoo
5) Gift cards to Target, CVS, Walmart, Home Depot
Contact Noelle at NoelleL@monkeyhelpers.org or 617-787-4419 ext. 105 if you would like to start a Wish List Drive of your own or want to donate in-kind items yourself. |
| Meet Our Monkeys |
| Rebecca
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Rebecca grooming Jen, her trainer
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Rebecca is a sweet monkey who has very recently joined us at The Monkey College to begin her training after her time in a loving foster home. Now that she is all settled into her new surroundings, she is beginning her monkey helper training with Jennifer. She is currently in the first stage called The Cubicle.
She is a curious monkey, which has helped her do very well in training so far. She began with "bell task training" (see below for an explanation) and has now moved on to the imitation phase of training. Imitation training really is monkey see, monkey do with the monkeys repeating their trainer's movements and being rewarded when they do so correctly. Monkeys are in training for 2-4 years at The Monkey College. Even though Rebecca still has many tasks to learn, her social personality promises that she is going to be a wonderful companion to someone in the future!
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Training Highlights
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| Bell Task Training
This is the foundation of all of our monkey helpers' training. The bell is introduced in The Cubicle, the first stage of training. In this distraction-free, sound-proof room, monkeys actually start learning how to learn. Bell task training begins with a trainer saying a monkey's name, and when they respond to that, the trainer immediately rings the bell and gives the monkey a lick of peanut butter and verbal praise. The reason we use the bell is so that our monkeys immediately realize that they have done a task correctly. Reacting within a split second of the correct behavior is crucial in helping our monkeys learn what behavior they are being praised for.
 Eventually the monkey learns that the bell is an indicator that they have done something correctly - and that peanut butter is on the way! The bell is used from this point on in training until the monkeys move into the next stages. It is phased out and replaced by verbal praise and peanut butter, and then eventually just verbal praise. Take a minute and watch our trainers explain bell task training and more in our Monkey College Video.
If you want to support monkeys in training, like Rebecca, any donation helps!
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Volunteer Spotlight
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Mahtab Motazedian
 1) How did you learn about Helping Hands?I learned about Helping Hands through a volunteer program at Boston University. The second I heard the word monkey, I was interested. I called Helping Hands to ask them exactly what they do as an organization and was invited to a Behind the Scenes Tour. Seeing firsthand what the monkeys can do for recipients around the country made me want to get involved even more. 2) Did you have any pets growing up? My family has had almost every pet you could think of. Growing up, I had two cats, two dogs, four birds, three bunnies, and once even a pet chick who grew to be a rooster. Currently, I have an adorable cat named Fatty. 3) Why is volunteering important to you?To me, volunteering is everything that makes the world go around. If we don't give back. we can't expect any good to be done. I sincerely believe it is the responsibility of those with more fortunate lives to give back to their community in any way possible. Making someone else's day better is the key to making your own day better, and the first step to achieving world peace, or at least content.
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One of Mattie's recent pictures!
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4) What did your recent project at Helping Hands entail?Recently, I photographed the monkeys at Helping Hands. I was asked to do a photo shoot of six monkeys to be featured in media and marketing materials. It was an amazing project because I got to see firsthand how the monkeys are trained and the specific techniques used by each trainer. It was incredible to see the love the monkeys have for their trainers and humans in general - and how much they are loved back. It was hands down the most rewarding community service I've ever done. A big thank you to Mattie for the wonderful photos! Keep an eye out for them to be used in new materials from Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers.
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About Us
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Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled, is a national 501 (c) 3 organization and member of Independent Charities of America. We place specially trained capuchin monkeys with individuals living with severe mobility impairments. Relying on private contributions, Helping Hands provides our service animals and their lifetime support free of charge.
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