Bethany Wilhelm-Atkins started the nonprofit A Place to Be Farm Sanctuary about four-and-a-half years ago in Murray.
The nonprofit Calloway County group takes in abused and neglected livestock from the area and welcomes people from all backgrounds and ability levels to come out and get as involved as possible. These volunteers can help rehab the animals, while also helping their own mental health.
While the goal would be to adopt as many animals out as possible, that isn't often the case. So the farm winds up with pigs, goats, sheep, horses, turkeys, donkeys, chickens, alpacas and other furry and feathered friends. As Wilhelm-Atkins puts it, they take in "a little bit of everything."
The animals come to the farm through owner surrenders, shelters and all sorts of different situations. Pigs have become especially common — with many rescues are overflowing or completely full — which Wilhelm-Atkins said are rarely set up to handle livestock. When they're not adopted out, they end up on the euthanasia list. So A Place to Be is there to offer a safe place for them to come.
Two of the pigs — Beans and Loaf — help Wilhelm-Atkins with education in the community, alongside many other animals at the farm. She says one goal they help with is getting kids better acclimated to being around animals.
Wilhelm-Atkins said her aim is to show goodwill to everyone — animal or person.
"Whether two-legged or four-legged, everyone needs kindness and compassion," she said.
Her group also a literacy focus. During the spring and summer — and sometimes in the fall — kids of all ages are invited to come out to the farm and read to the animals.
"We've had college kids bring their textbook out on finals week and I catch them out there reading to my pigs," said Wilhelm-Atkins. "If we can just offer a safe space for these kids to come out and read and be happy about reading, to me that's exciting."
This Tuesday, in observance of Earth Day, A Place to Be will be on Murray State's Quad from 1 to 3 p.m. with the MSU Earth and Environmental Sciences Club, where guests can also get free plants, play games and more.
Learn more about A Place To Be, including how to volunteer, on the farm's social media channels. They can be found on Facebook, Instagram or Tiktok.
