Submitted by Humane Society for Southwest Washington
A lot of time, care and personal attention goes into helping 5,000+ shelter animals thrive and find new homes. The Humane Society for Southwest Washington’s (HSSW) volunteers would know. In 2017, more than 1,000 volunteers gave their time and service with heart and humor to support the dogs and cats. The impressive number of volunteers and the diverse activities they perform help keep HSSW in top form.
“As a nonprofit, volunteers are vital to our organization,” asserts Stacey Graham, President of HSSW. “They help us out with everything from adoption services and dog training to cat socialization and assistance at our ReTails Thrift Store. Every task supports the animals, and we are incredibly grateful for each person’s time and talents.”
In 2017, the total number of volunteers rose to 1,041 people who donated more than 114,000 hours. HSSW celebrated their contributions with a special volunteer evening in February, highlighting their generosity.
At the shelter, 593 volunteers donated nearly 44,000 hours, which included both working directly with the animals and needed services like laundry, dishes and transport. Foster care volunteers numbered 223 who gave more than 61,500 hours of dedicated attention. The ReTails Thrift Store saw 223 volunteers in 2017 and benefitted from 61,500+ hours of their time. Eighteen members of the Board of Directors donated nearly 950 hours of service to HSSW.
At the event, HSSW gave special recognition to several honored volunteers:
- Cindy Bean, Frequent Flyer
- Eric Burres, Ericat Purres
- Amy Libby, The Assist
- Michelle Rogers, Animal Whisperer
- Cat Mentors, Guiding Stars (Larry Juday, Linda Surratt, Chris Rivas, Paula Goldie, Carran Cain, Angie Fontana, Natasha Hambrook, Karen Hardwick, Diane McKee, Rita Ryerson, Kris Neff)
- Jan Baur, Kickin’ Butt
- Cindy Tagliavia, Swoop In To the Rescue
- Renee Mowry, Our Teammate
- Jen Schiller, Underdog Champ
In addition, volunteers who donated more than 500 hours to HSSW in 2017 include: Alvin Carlson, Karen Clark, Liz Gayhart, Larry Juday, Kathy Little, Renee Mowry, Heidi Rohlfes, Penny Ruthruff, Cindy Tagliavia, and Thomas Zummo.
To join the league of HSSW’s outstanding volunteers and support shelter animals in a range of ways, visit the Humane Society for Southwest Washington or email volunteer@southwesthumane.org.
