Our Legacy – Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers
Formerly known as Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers, we provided help and touched hearts for over forty years.
Monkey Helpers – A History of Extraordinary Partnerships
Helping Hands Simian Aides for the Disabled Inc. dba Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled, Inc. was founded in 1979 to raise and train capuchin monkeys to provide daily in-home assistance to people living with mobility impairments.
The organization supported service monkeys and their human partners with interactive mentoring and close supervision of each monkey’s behavioral, nutritional, and veterinary needs. The animals were trained free of charge with the help of private donations.
Lives Were Changed
Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled assisted adults with spinal cord injuries and other mobility impairments throughout the United States live more independent and engaged lives. This was accomplished by providing clients with a unique service animal: a
highly trained capuchin monkey to help with their daily tasks. These animals brought more than just a willing set of nimble hands to their clients. They also brought companionship, joy, and the renewed sense of purpose that comes from taking responsibility for the health and well-being of another creature. For over 40 years we:
- raised, trained, and matched the monkeys with carefully chosen clients;
- provided extensive coaching and customized in-home training at the start of each placement;
- oversaw each monkey’s lifelong behavioral, nutritional, and medical needs;
- provided ongoing active support and mentoring for every partnership; and,
- placed post-service monkeys in loving Special Care Homes or brought them back to the Monkey Living Center where they are well cared for.
Creating a Healthy, Happy Environment at the Monkey Living Center
After many years of service our capuchin monkeys retired. We have made a commitment to care for each monkey until the end of their natural life. Thus, as the monkeys return from service, we are providing a safe, nurturing, and age-appropriate environment at our Monkey Living Center, where they are loved and cared for in their post-service years.
Our Monkey Living Center provides climbing structures and activities designed with an aging population of capuchins in mind. It is a place where our older monkeys and our monkeys with special medical needs are welcomed and protected. It is a place where they can play with their friends and make new ones! Somewhere they can find a sunbeam to nap in, or a lap to cuddle in; a place that all our monkeys can call home.
How You Can Support Our Capuchins
If you would like to provide support to our aging service monkeys, please check out these options. We appreciate your continuing support of our beloved capuchin monkeys.
When you symbolically adopt a monkey, you are supporting housing, food, vet care, toys, healthy treats, and snuggly blankets for our capuchins.
Make a one-time gift of $144 or $12 per month and we will send you exclusive footage of our monkeys at play on a quarterly basis.
Make a one-time gift of $500 or $42 per month and in addition to the exclusive footage of our monkeys, we will also send you our Annual Calendar with beautiful monthly photos of our monkeys.
Make a gift of $1,000 and you will be invited to join an animal care staff and monkey in a virtual meeting. We will also make sure to send you exclusive monkey footage and a calendar.
Other Ways to Give
For more information contact Diane Nahabedian, Executive Director.
Phone: (617) 787-4419 x.114