Pet Talk

by Cathy Davis
www.houltonanimalshelter.com
    Last week I introduced you to a few of our board members. This week I'd like to tell you about a few more.
    This gracious young lady worked for years as a loan officer for a local bank. Well respected for her expertise and fairness, she also had a tremendous amount of love for the feline population of our community and became a member of the Humane Society. For more years than I can remember, she has been our bookkeeper and treasurer, spending probably at least 20 hours a week making sure our bills our paid, money is in the bank, the payroll is done, and the monthly and quarterly reports prepared. This is the most labor-intensive job on the Board of Directors and it requires skill, dedication, computer programs and the knowledge to use them! Never flustered, always soft spoken and kind, I don't know what we would ever do without her. Her name is Lois Jeffery.
    When I first became involved in the animal shelter, this next Board member was right there with Dorene and Brenda and was totally involved in making sure the animals were well taken care of and the Shelter run smoothly. Over the years she has given so much of her personal time to rescuing animals, fund raising, and meeting after meeting. She was with us through some of our most trying times; she was a source of strength and humor. When she had to leave the board for a while to tend to her "real life" we missed her terribly. Now she's back and we are so excited to have her serving as our secretary. This is the second most time consuming job on the Board, making sure that all the donations and bequests and memorials are acknowledged in a timely manner, making sure that everybody knows how much we appreciate their contribution; she works for hours every week sending thank-you notes and helping with special projects. Welcome back Cyndi Folsom!
    No longer a board member, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Brenda Wright. Brenda and Dorene are probably our members with the most time in office and the most experience. After many years of service, Brenda has taken some time off to enjoy her "real life" but is still involved in day-to-day decisions of the Shelter, fund-raisers, and rescues. Brenda has such a kind way about her, a quiet demeanor, and yet despite her small stature, she is a powerhouse, very firm in her convictions and full of energy. We appreciate all Brenda has done for us over the years and look forward to her return to the board once she's rested from her years of hard work!
    You would be amazed at how many people have approached us over the years offering to build a Web site for us. We would be thrilled, and then let them know all the information we'd like to have available on-line, and then we'd never hear from them again. Then one day we got a call and someone actually came to a meeting and stayed to the end. This is what we'd like to have done, and they went home and did it. If you have any experience in Web design, you know it's not easy, and this volunteer was teaching herself as she went along. She has done a remarkable job not only designing the site, but also keeping it up to date, adding detail to it, and making it interesting. No matter what you ask her to do, she's always willing to do it. She drug her husband along with her, (actually he came willingly!), and he has been a fabulous volunteer, helping to move furniture, building our frames for our tile-by-tile donation displays, building just about anything we ask for, helping with parade floats, grinding ham for box lunches, you name it, both of them have been there for us week in and week out, working their hearts out for the animals. Many thanks to Pete and Darlene Kenney!
    And speaking of our tile-by-tile wall, many thanks to Florence Hardy, who actually makes the tiles for us. I wish you could have seen her struggling to put together a fabulous presentation when the first wall was designed. It took hours to find just the right material that would work on the tiles. Something that could be washed and not fade or fall apart, and then make these tiles look really awesome when mounted on the wall. Flo has paid for all the tiles herself and has volunteered her time to do the work. She has also donated dozens of items for auctions or raffles and even adopted a kitty! We are so lucky to have found her and we treasure her friendship.
    Stay tuned, there are more behind-the-scenes individuals I want you to meet in future weeks. In the meantime, have a wonderful holiday and thank you for all you do for us!