Home Is Where I Want to Be
Recently on Facebook, I saw a dog that looked exactly like Humphrey. (I did a double take!) He desperately needed a foster or better, a furever home to avoid being euthanized. This sweet boy was just a few years old. I wanted to go scoop him up myself, but there is no way we could bring another animal into our home given how hard of a time Jack is having sharing his castle with Juniper and Asher. My feed is filled with these poor animals in desperate need of homes, but seeing another Humphrey tugged at the heart strings on an even deeper level. It feels like a sign from Jeannessa encouraging me to move forward with her foundation.
Starting a non-profit in her memory is no easy feat, especially given the multitude of layers that come with a violent, tragic death of a young person. However, not doing it for me would be an even greater struggle. Seeing all of these pets who are at risk of being euthanized simply because they need a home is a reminder of the huge loss Jeannessa’s death is not just to me and the people who loved her, but to the community at large. She had the passion and the skills to care for animals in need with a lasting impact. Even though I don’t have her gifts to work with these pets directly, my immeasurable love and respect for Jeannessa compels me to use the gifts I do have to make some sort of difference for animals in our community in her memory.
With that, we are just two weeks away from our inaugural event! I am both totally excited and completely overwhelmed as we get closer, as there is still so much to do. If you are able to volunteer before or during the event, please let Shelly, our volunteer coordinator, know. One job we still need help with is hanging posters- we have a large stack left and a number of neighborhoods that haven’t yet been visited. Aside from getting the word out about the event, this is an important job as it helps with “brand recognition.” At the event, we will need greeters to pass out tea lights and direct attendees. As an official 501(c)(3), we can grant volunteer hours to anyone who may need them for school or work. Many hands make light work and I deeply appreciate any and all efforts from our caring volunteers.
Whether you are able to volunteer or donate or attend the event or even just help us spread the word on social media, thank you for helping to carry on Jeannessa’s much-needed legacy of caring for pets in our community! Let’s work together to make sure every animal has a loving home!
