Stacy Holbrook
Contributing Writer
(Photo Provided)
From cats to goats to horses and cows; Mitten Misfits Farm Sanctuary is a loving caring sanctuary for older farm animals and homeless animals. With a love and compassion for animals, Victoria Worthy started her small sanctuary of misfits; and they all fit in. A 25-year leap into the future we see a heartwarming place for many farm animals that have found a forever home with Bob and Victoria Worthy and their group of volunteers. The animals have come from Animal Rescue and pampered pets.
Victoria’s support group had started out with family and friends, in 2020 when COVID affected a lot of businesses it also hit the sanctuary hard. Bringing Victoria to a new stage of this special project, she reached out to MSU students. Victoria and the MSU students started an adventure together, students came out and volunteer at the sanctuary while they also received hands on training, working with all sizes of animals. As volunteers and funds increase the sanctuary has visions of expansions. Many of the structures at the sanctuary are made from crates donated and other left-over building material donated from businesses.
Victoria applied and received the 503c status as a none profit organization. Mitten Misfit Sanctuary runs on donations, money or foods. There is a vision of a garden to be added to the grounds, where the community can contribute to the care and growth of produce and after harvest, the leftovers will not go to waste, the animals will enjoy them. When feed is picked up from Family Farm and Home, the bags are sturdy. Victoria and Bob would like to re-purpose these into shopping bags. They are looking for seamstresses willing to donate time to convert feed bags to shopping bags with handles.
Mitten Misfits can use volunteers in the office for administration work, volunteers working with the animals or building and maintaining structures and fences. If the community is interested in helping with funding, they can contact Mitten Misfit Sanctuary directly through email mittenmisfits@gmail.com or call 517-281-0511. Check out their Facebook page at Mitten Misfits Farms. Check out the current events: Family Farm and Home Fund Raiser and the Valentines event.
Mitten Misfits Sanctuary is a great benefit to the community through other programs working with Veterans with PTSD and Children with Autism. One story Bob shared with me of a young man, that had been introduced to their program, communication with his family was through writing words. After many visits to the sanctuary, this young man was starting to say words. Another autistic man continues to visit the sanctuary after he aged out of his program. This experience inspired his mom to write a children’s book: Rosies’s Dream by Jules Nelson.
I was so impressed and inspired by my visit to Mitten Misfits Sanctuary; I will enjoy another visit and article. I was honored to meet with Bob and pray this blessed sanctuary may become the Legacy Victoria and Bob dream of.
