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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2014 13:49:00 GMT
I'm really not quite sure if this thread is in the proper section. Kind helpers please feel free to move it elsewhere.
In any event,my husband and I agreed some time ago that we wanted to commit at least 2 days a week for a few hours to a community cause as it were.
I have worked with several agencies over the years,but, our decision was conjoint in that we wanted to work with folks in the community in a literacy program.
My husband opted for working with an Adult Literacy program whereas I chose to volunteer my time to a program working with school age children that's been around awhile called STAIR (Start The Adventure In Reading).
Are any other posters involved in community volunteer programs?
I would so enjoy hearing about your experiences.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2014 14:59:08 GMT
A really worthwhile cause Casimira.
I have volunteered for an organisation called 'helping hands' in the past. With this I was sent to different households to do what I could to help. People who were going through a rough patch, or were disabled in some way and that needed babysitting, or shopping done or help with household chores, or whatever it may be.
Lately I am looking into volunteering for my local SPCA, maybe to foster cats or dogs on a temporary basis, or maybe just to walk dogs who live in the shelter. I'd like to find some time to do something like that.
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Post by Kimby on Jan 15, 2014 15:58:52 GMT
For 27 years I have been involved in a volunteer program that brings over 1000 fifth graders, one class a day, to the local art museum and library. They get to see the exhibits with a docent (trained volunteer guide), create an art project with an artist/instructor, get a library presentation and tour, and get their own library cards. For many years, I was an organizer for the Fifth Grade Art Experience, but the museum has taken on the administration in recent years, perfect timing with Mr. Kimby's retirement. Now I am "just" a docent.
I must admit that helping kids is not my only motivation - I get so much out of the FGAE myself.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2014 11:31:45 GMT
Good for you Deyana. Don't be surprised if you find yourself adopting some more critters to add to your menagerie! After Hurricane Katrina I did some volunteer work with an animal rescue agency. A group of us would go together and walk the dogs. I enjoyed it immensely but, it was ever so heartbreaking because I found myself wanting to adopt at least a half a dozen dogs. I also did some volunteer work for a mental health crisis hotline and carried on with that for a long time. As you can well imagine it was very much in need and the call volume was heavy. Over the years I've done a ton of garden volunteering both with schools and community gardens. I'm sure I will get involved again doing this at some point as I enjoyed it so much. (For some reason though, too many egos emerged and it was frustrating).
The art museum docent work sounds wonderful Kimby and I admire your diligence in doing it for so long. I'm sure you are very much valued.
This new endeavor will be an interesting departure.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2014 4:30:58 GMT
I can just imagine how it must be so hard not to want to keep every other dog you see at the shelter, casimira. Good for you on doing something to help these most vulnerable of creatures and at such a difficult time.
I can't see myself having any more pets. I already have one dog and three cats, that is enough really. But I would like to do something to help those less fortunate.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2014 10:09:22 GMT
That's the same pet population we have Deyana, And you're right, it's enough. Between the vaccinations, examinations, flea control and heartworm treatments let alone the food, it can get quite pricey. Had I more money I would likely adopt another dog. I simply just can't afford it.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2017 13:37:57 GMT
As with many large urban areas, New Orleans has a huge feral cat population.
A group, TNR was formed some years back to Trap Neuter Release feral cats all around the city.
Starting tomorrow I will be pairing up with a lovely woman who has been a pioneer of this program for many, many years and tagging along in order to orient myself to the process. We work directly with the local SPCA.
I'm pretty psyched about this. My husband fears I will end up adopting a slew of cats.
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Post by whatagain on Nov 26, 2017 14:17:59 GMT
Problem with cats is the first. I didn't want cats. So my wife said : I have a cat, I bring him along to the apartment. Filou. A lovely cat. After a while she said : 'cat is alone too ong, we'll get another one, I've seen a lovely one. 2 cats. Then they got pregnant (wife and cat). We kept the children (son and kitties) then .... we had 10 cats last year, down to 8... Oldest is more than 16 years old, youngest is 1 next week...
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2017 4:02:06 GMT
Beginning early Monday evening and this morning we were able to trap 16 feral cats and transported them to the local SPCA where they will be neutered and then released back to where they came from So, the 8 we trapped Monday night we were able to release today and the remaining 8 that are at the shelter we will release tomorrow. It's hard work that's for sure. I trapped a 20 lb. male tabby 'Tom' and even with the he carrying him to the car as he very pissed off and moving all over the trap disrupting the balance, it was like carrying a bronco cat.
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Post by questa on Nov 30, 2017 4:34:54 GMT
I am a terrible softy with small animals. I helped out a couple of times at the RSPCA. I had no qualms about cleaning cages, washing dirty blankets or the yuk stuff in general, but the puppies and kittens I knew would not be adopted but euthanized got to me. Too many animals, not enough people able to adopt. It was impossible for me to take any...I have a cat and dog already, and live in a flat. It got just too much, so I left, but I still get sad when I remember them.
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Post by whatagain on Nov 30, 2017 6:33:21 GMT
My neighbor in southern france catches cats and brings them to the vet to neuter them. She then usually keeps and feeds them. She had 3-4 cats that go inside the house and s total if 20 she feeds. Once she caught a big cat that made a lot of noise when trapped. In the morning shd realised she had caught a fox. That she released in the woods.
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Post by lagatta on Nov 30, 2017 12:41:02 GMT
Ha! I don't imagine that there are many lynx around there - which would have been one hell of a big cat. Eurasian lynx tend to live farther north, and I don't know if Iberian lynx range as far as southern France. They are rare even in Spain and Portugal... I don't think I could volunteer in a shelter that killed healthy animals either. And I'd want to adopt all of them, which is impossible in a smallish flat.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2017 12:59:17 GMT
Questa, that is exactly why I chose this avenue to volunteer vs. what you did. I have a difficult enough time going to the shelter to adopt an animal. I want to adopt them all!!! Kudos to you for trying.
This particular program is critical in that it keeps the cat colonies throughout the city under control population wise and keeps them from being euthanized. Many of the cats that we trap are being fed while in the "wild" by kind folks like the woman that Whatagain mentioned. There are "feeding stations" all over the city. Some do get adopted but at least they can't reproduce.
Thus far, the cats are in relatively good health. If we see something that we think needs to be addressed medically we make note of it on the form we have to fill out before taking them to the shelter. One young cat, a "juvie" had what appeared to be an eye infection which the doctors will assess and treat.
That must have been quite a surprise Whatagain, trapping a fox!!! I anticipate we will likely end up trapping some raccoons and opossum or perhaps a nutria.
One never knows what we are going to find when we lift that sheet cover off of the trap.
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Post by Kimby on Nov 30, 2017 13:06:44 GMT
I am a supporter of TNR programs, but not without reservations. Cats are hunters, and outdoor kitties, both owned and feral, have a tremendous negative impact on birds and other small animals. I hope your colony is so well-fed that they lose all interest in hunting, casi!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2017 13:44:12 GMT
That particular reservation/opinion has always been controversial and will remain so. Both "schools" have very firm convictions about this.
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Post by Kimby on Nov 30, 2017 13:54:21 GMT
My hope is that you are 100% successful in trapping and sterilizing these outdoor kitties,so the colony eventually dies out, of old age. :-)
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Post by lagatta on Nov 30, 2017 17:13:03 GMT
It seems to me that in cities such as New Orleans or Venice, if there were no longer any cats living freely, the rat population would explode.
The Venetian cat colonies are very well fed. But most of the birds they kill are pigeons.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2017 19:29:15 GMT
My solution to the murdering of birds is to put a medium sized (jingle) bell on my cat(s) collar in order to give the birds fair warning.It took a few tries to get him to keep it on but now he tolerates it. I also abandon putting out bird feeders many, many years ago as it is so cruel to invite birds into a garden that is a potential killing zone. I'm opposed to confining a cat to the indoors only as I feel I am depriving them of "being a cat", climbing trees, roaming in my garden etc. I have a next door neighbor who has 5 indoor/outdoor cats and she keeps 2 large bird feeders going at all times. I have tried to talk to her about this but she will not listen to reason. But, she is a "whack job" to begin with so their is no point in trying to get her to listen. I wouldn't be surprised if on some level she "gets off on it" she is that crazy.
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Post by Kimby on Nov 30, 2017 20:30:10 GMT
It seems to me that in cities such as New Orleans or Venice, if there were no longer any cats living freely, the rat population would explode. The Venetian cat colonies are very well fed. But most of the birds they kill are pigeons. Most of the birds (left) in Venice are pigeons, probably..,
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Post by rikita on Dec 5, 2017 0:06:38 GMT
not volunteering in the proper sense right now, did a few smaller things ... i was one of the parent representatives at a's daycare until recently ... also joined a group that teaches german to refugees (and to anyone else who joins the classes, but the majority of the students are refugees) which worked pretty well because you can go there when you have time and else not go, there is a pool of teachers. these days, i stopped as i noticed i was too stressed, but plan to start again some day ... and during my parental leave and for a while after that, i was in a romanian-speaking mother child group that was frequented mainly by roma immigrants, and the group leaders counted it as volunteering, as i helped translating when the other mothers had questions for the social worker or for the midwife there ...
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2017 14:08:45 GMT
I would imagine that being a mother and also working consumes alot of your time rikita. Adding volunteer work to your schedule would certainly stress you out.
There are so many persons that could dedicate more time to worthy causes that don't have the responsibilities of both working and parenting.
Able bodied, skilled persons who are retired should "step up to the plate" more in my opinion even if it's only just a few hours a week. It would be so easy for me to make excuses on days when I'm called upon to fill in for someone else who has a legitimate reason for not fulfilling their commitment. I have cancelled many a lunch and dinner invitation because for me it's a matter of prioritizing.
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Post by Kimby on Dec 5, 2017 18:07:48 GMT
We need more people like you Casimira!
My volunteer career was extensive while Mr. Kimby was working. But now that he’s retired, I’m finding it MUCH harder to make volunteer commitments. What if it’s a powder day and we NEED to go skiing? What if it’s a gorgeous fall day that requires Mr. Kimby’s hiking partner to be ready to lace up her boots for a last minute hiking outing? What if the weather is gonna be gorgeous at the lake and my signing up to lead a museum tour or a field trip for students means we can’t go up to the lake for several days. You see the dilemma. Retired spouse means LESS free time, not more.
Fortunately, I built up a lot of volunteer karma during his working years... And I am on call for “last minute - need somebody” gigs at my museums, so haven’t quit volunteering altogether.
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