Hello.  In case you don't know me, my name is Joanne Ruffner and I am
with Ferret Corner Shelter.  First I would like to thank everyone who
has offered us prayers, thoughts, love and donations through-out our time
as a shelter.  This community is one that I am glad I found.
 
With the holidays approaching I would like everyone to stop a minute and
think about what the holidays mean for each and every one of us.  Is it
family, friends, parties, food, presents, giving, shopping?  What is it
that makes this time special to us?  As a kid I loved the holiday for
three things...PRESENTS, my dads homemade FUDGE and my moms PUMPKIN PIES.
Now, well I love the holidays for PRESENTS, my dads homemade FUDGE and my
moms PUMPKIN PIES!!!  Ok ok...more than that.  I love the ability to
give.  I have always loved shopping for other people...I know...go
figure!
 
There are people and ferrets out there that need some extra help this
time of year.  It might be a shelter, a friend, a family member or your
neighbor.
 
What if you want to give but don't have enough money to help out in a
"big way"?  Well, you know what...there is a price tag for everyone:
 
Buck-a-Month Club (BaM).  This ferret club was started so that ANYONE
could afford it.  Have a dollar to spare each month or $12 for the year?
Well if you do then this is the club for you.  To date the BaM members
have raised...are you ready for this?.....$1,700.00 Everything adds up.
Some people send money for each of their ferrets, some send just a full
years payment, some send $1.00 each month.  In the whole picture....every
dollar counts.  For more information on this club click on this link:
http://www.geocities.com/shelter_ferrets_in_need/bam.html
 
Giving Trees.  Now this is a wonderful place.  Shelters put ferrets on
the tree that are looking for Santa's.  Then you get to go and look at
all of the information about the ferret and then you can choose who you
would like to be a Santa to.  You can send presents for the ferret or
ferrets...wrap them in Christmas paper if you want...buy as much or as
little as you want.  Don't worry that you can't afford to spend a lot of
money.  Don't want to mail a package off?  Why not go through
www.theferretstore.com and let them mail it to the shelter for you
(orders over $25.00 are shipped free!).  Want more information on the
Giving Tree?  Click on the links below:
 
The Ferret Giving Tree  http://givingtree.friendsoffuzzies.com/
The ADV Giving Tree   http://www.mkaresq.com/adv_giving.htm
 
Still not sure what to do?  You could also just send a donation to SOS
and ask them to help a shelter that is in need.  Or send it directly to
a shelter.  Here are the shelter listing that SOS has:
http://www.geocities.com/ferretlover96/ferrets/SOS-ShelterList.html
 
ADV Donations:  http://www.geocities.com/white_russian4adv/donation.html
 
Until next time......oh and before I forget...Alexandra....Please put a
warning up before your posts!  Being at work and laughing my butt off is
not the best thing to do so early in the morning!  Thanks for sharing
your joys and your sorrows with us all.
 
Joanne
Ferret Corner Shelter
 
[Moderator's note: The shelter list probably will continue to have major
revisions occasionally and then be distributed.  But Judith has been
sending me little changes now and then (some 15 sets of changes so far
since June) so I've been keeping the online copy here up to date.
 
If you'd like the most up-to-date copy please ask the server to
SEND SHELTER LISTS FERRET or write to me and I'll send it to you.  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 3933]