Hi Riley,
In the beginning of the pandemic we couldn't have volunteers at the shelter at all, so we set up monthly zoom meetings to keep them updated and share information. We also allowed them to ask questions/concerns. We kept up with monthly (sometimes bi-monthly) emails to keep everyone in the loop and help with engagement. We set up online fundraisers that we asked volunteers to support and help with. Which included participating in the events, spreading the word for us and helping out via social media to help spread the word further. We had a few odds and end type projects that could be done from home as well that volunteers could come to the shelter, pick up the materials and do from home. We also had poster distribution that we needed help with, transports here and there and help distributing pet pantry (our free pet food program) to those community members that were homebound. Lastly, we had out Pet Therapy volunteers send in "we miss you" videos with the therapy pets and I put together a video to send to the hospitals that we would normally visit in (we did that around the holidays last year to help spread some cheer since we couldn't be there in person). The hospitals shared that video with their patients and staff.
------------------------------
Erin Ellis
Community Engagement Director
Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe
---------
Volunteer & Community Partnerships Specialist
------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 03-25-2020 09:24 AM
From: Riley Bailey
Subject: What can volunteers do to help the shelter from home?
What sort of things are other shelters having volunteers do (other than fostering) to continue to help the shelter without physically being there during the COVID-19 outbreak? While everyone is in quarantine, what sort of fun/creative things can volunteers do from home so that they still feel helpful during this time? We know this is a very uncertain time for a lot of people and want to give our volunteers and members of our community a sense of purpose.
#coronavirus
#PeopleManagement(includingVolunteerIntegration)
#covid-19