Hi all,
Alicia just posted regarding a request for help on Thursday nights.  Let me
share our experience.  This has worked very, very well for me at Ferret
Services of Freedom, as I work a full-time job approximately one hour away.
 
Every Thursday night from approximately 5:30 p.m.  until 7, a group of us
get together to clean litter boxes and cages at the shelter.  One washes
boxes, another dries, and two work in the cage room cleaning cages.  If
there are others, they are put to work doing other chores (folding ferret
laundry, brochures, etc).  When we are just about finished with the chores,
we place a call at our local pizza shop for subs or pizza.  I send my hubby
to get the subs while we finish up.  When it arrives, we and eat and visit.
We have been doing this for approximately one and a half years now with
rarely a Thursday being missed.  It's a great blessing to me to have such
dedicated volunteers and it's a huge help to get it done in one night.  A
week night (it doesn't have to be Thursday) doesn't interfere with anyone's
weekend.  If you live close by and would like to join us on Thursday
nights, come on up!  We'd love to have you!
 
Regarding volunteering, I recently read an article in our local paper about
the statistics of charitable giving in the USA.  NH is financially well-off
compared to some other states.  However, our charitable giving and our
volunteering of our time is very low when compared to other states.  We
ALL (regardless of which state we live in) need to reach deep into our
pockets and our calendars and squeeze a few extra $$ and hours out for
worthy causes.  Donating to your local ferret shelter is a worthy cause.
Volunteering at your local ferret shelter is another worthy cause.  Come on
people-ferret shelters are not getting the $$$ that cat and dog shelters
do!  We do not have the funds to pay for staff.  We shelter moms do not get
paid for our work!  Most of us have to work full-time in order to pay the
bills (mortgage, health insurance, car payment, etc) and a lot of our own
money goes into the shelter for food, litter, laundry, meds, etc.  A lot of
us sell ferret-related items on the side to help pay the bills.  No one is
complaining here-we do it out of love!  But we do rely on the generosity of
ferret lovers and if you are on this list-you qualify as a ferret lover.
Search out your local ferret shelter and ask how you can help.  You won't
know how much of a blessing you will be --or even how awesome it will make
you feel to know that you made a difference-- until you do it.
 
On another note, we had some visitors from Germany who are on holiday in
New England call us this week and ask if they could stop by for a "ferret
fix" as they miss their ferrets back home.  We had a fascinating visit, and
they are coming back tonight (Thursday) to help clean the shelter and visit
with my volunteers and join us for pizza.  How's that for long distance
volunteering?
 
Stephanie Mudgett
Ferret Services of Freedom
PS - thanks to my incredible volunteers-Kelly, Lydia, and Bruce who are
ALWAYS there to help!  You guys are the BEST!!!
[Posted in FML issue 3197]