Animal Welfare Professionals

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  • 1.  Community Conversations - 1/27/25 - Community Check-In

    Posted 16 days ago

    Updated 1/27/25 at 3:55 pm - Recording now available!

    Please note: All views expressed on these calls are not necessarily endorsed by Maddie’s Fund.

    We hope to see you on the next Community Conversation on Monday, 1/27/25 at 11am PT for a Community Check-In  with @José Ocaño (he/him/el) and @Donell Randolph. Join the call to connect and build community together.  

    How is your year going so far? What's going on in your heart? Attendees share their concerns, their stress levels and the barriers they are currently facing. Co-host José Ocaño, CEO & Founder, Hatching LLC https://www.hatching.me/, polls us on our feelings and how our teams are doing. Co-host Donell Randolph, Volunteer Coordinator, Oakland Animal Services, shares what's going on in his world. Tia Ma, a life coach at http://www.shamantaima.com/, guides us in a meditative Heart Coherence exercise. Jacqueline Hernandez, Solidaridad Latinoamericana para la Protección Animals y el Rescate (S.O.L.A.R), shares a gut-wrenching incident and how her team is coping with it.

    Register for Community Conversations hosted via Zoom: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConvoRegistration2024

    Make sure you are using the latest version of Zoom when you join us!

    If you are unable to make it live on Monday, this thread will be updated with the recording and resources so you can watch and share whenever you'd like.  After you watch the recording on-demand or attend the call live, be sure to complete this new January 2025 entry form to enter to win up to a $5,000 grant: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-jan25-giveaway.htm


    #Diversity,Equity,InclusionandJustice
    #OrganizationalManagement

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    Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
    Maddie's Fund
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  • 2.  RE: Community Conversations - 1/27/25 - Community Check-In

    Posted 16 days ago

    Thanks to the 143+ people who joined us on today's call Community Conversations call!  The recording is now available to watch on-demandBelow you'll find a recap of today's call and the resources shared. 

    Call Recap

      • Maddie's Fund Monthly Giveaways!  Enter here for a chance to win:  
        • Open to all who are watching Weekly Community Conversations live or on-demand! Be sure to enter each week you attend! https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-jan25-giveaway.htm
        • Maddie's Pet Forum Monthly Giveaway: Maddie's Fund® is giving away a $3,000 grant each month to one lucky Maddie's® Pet Forum member. You'll automatically be entered to win each month when you start a new discussion, reply to a new post. More info:  https://maddies.fund/mpfmonthlygiveaway
        • In celebration of Maddie's Fund 30th anniversary, Maddie's Fund and Cuddly have partnered to provide $1,000 in prizes monthly, for engaging on a special anniversary-related post on Maddie's Pet Forum. This December, simply comment on this thread telling us how your organization has removed barriers and you'll be entered to win a $1,000 Cuddly prize pack: https://maddies.fund/30YearsGiveawayJanuary2025 

    • Highlights from the Chat
      • "Hello! I'm Kristen, the Tech Tabby at the Community Cats Podcast and I'm in NH. Thank you for having these calls/presentations! 🙂" - Kristen Petrie
      • "Such a cool way to visibly represent this info!" - Brittany Pratt
      • "I'm happy to see that people aren't MAXIMUM stressed" - Jory Jolivet
      • "Not surprised sadly :(" - Alysia Martinez
      • "Not surprised at all" - Kim Jackson
      • "Comforted I am not alone" - Shelley Joaquin
      • "Not really. I am grateful people in my sphere care enough to have feelings about the general state of things. - Kristen Petrie
      • "Not surprising, but it's sad to see everyone suffering so collectively " - Alexis Pagoulatos
      • "It's a very scary time. With all the stuff going on. But I ran amuk and went to a concert, so I have a little relief for a day of too." - Janette Martin
      • "HeartMath is great." - Claire Walton
      • "i just bought tickets the other day for a concert too! Desperately awaiting that day!" - Alysia Martinez
      • "I need all the coherence I can get!" - Claire Walton 
      • "Is it known how many immigrants work in animal rescue/sheltering?" - Donna Miller
      • "I just started learning about this! I have a health tracker that tracks my HRV throughout the day." - Sera Henry
      • "Oh, Jacquie.  So very sorry." - Johanna Humbert
      • "I am TERRIBLY sorry to hear this." - Carla Dellaporta
      • "I'm so sorry for you, the person and your staff. That's so scary." - Kristen Petrie
      • "How horrible and so scary. So sorry Jacqueline" - Maddie Babel
      • "Jacqueline Hernandez - I am so sorry to hear this. Sending you and your team a huge hug." - Sharon Fletcher
      • "I missed something.  Did ICE show up at one of our shelters?" - Tammy Anckner 
      • "Yes, in Omaha, NE" - Shonyae Johnson
      • "I can't even start to describe my anger and sadness. I'm so sorry you are going through this. " - Ginessa Stark
      • "Jacqueline Hernandez You have been a huge advocate for our NHS Family! So glad to be able to work with you everyday!" - Ashley Schott
      • "Thank you so much for sharing @Jacqueline Hernandez. Sending you and your team love!" - Sera Henry
      • "Sending love and positive thoughts to you and your team!" - Brittany Pratt
      • "How do people feel about FB being a safe place? I am also an immigrant. There was a raid in AZ near my mom's retirement community." - Laura Gesualdi
      • "When we are in an emotional state, we canNOT think. It's because if humans ran into an emergency situation, thinking slowed down the response and the human was a "goner". So, when we react emotionally, we have a better chance of physically surviving. (It's all about the amygdala.)" - Stefanie Holzman
      • "Feeling stressed. People are being profiled and that is wrong. In addition, it affects the animals that we are trying to help." - Michelle Robinson
      • "Amaaaaaazing Lucy!!!! " - Amber Eby
      • "Amazing, congratulations Lucy!!!!" - Brittany Pratt
      • "That's AMAZING, Lucy!  Congratulations!!!!!" - Penny Paiich-Caraway
      • "What other people think of us is none of our business!" - Mary Ippoliti-Smith
      • "Convincing myself is so much harder than saying it. :(" - Janette Martin
      • "Good for you Donell Randolph" - Sharon Fletcher
      • "❤️ proud of you for prioritizing YOU, Donell!" - Sheila Kouhkan
      • "So relatable. Proud of you Donell!" - Brittany Pratt
      • "That was a really powerful exercise, thank you." - Alexis Pagoulatos
      • "This is a reminder that we can always take inspired actions, big and small. Thank you, José!" - Elise Winn
      • "Have to run, but thank you SO MUCH for today!!!!" - Bri Xandrick
      • "This is exactly what I needed today!  It's hard to keep it together when so much is going down all around." - Tammy Anckner
      • "Didn't expect to cry during this meeting 😆" - Alysia Martinez
      • "Being appreciated by who we care for is very valuable." - Christina Avila
      • "Thank you, Benjamin, for sticking by my side, for the unconditional love, the unexpected joy, the warmest comfort, the silliness you pepper my life with and keeping me present in so many, many precious moments throughout the day." - Carla Dellaporta
      • "I put my thank you to my best foster." - April Canizzaro
      • "Yes, I think even though we see many struggling, it helps to know none of us are alone. Thank you for this session." - Alexis Pagoulatos
      • "I sent mine to my son." - Laura Gesualdi
      • "Thank you, Jose and Donell!" - Geraldine D'Silva
      • "I loved it! It was a reminder to stop for just a moment and focus on gratitude. I sent messages to my team, and my partner at home!" - Sera Henry
      • "Yes, this exercise was very grounding and uplifting. Thank you." - Shelley Joaquin
      • "What a wonderful and much-needed meeting! Grateful to be here 🙂" - Carla Dellaporta
      • "I love that, Donell!!" - Charlotte Otero
      • "I thanked my partner for covering the application fees for my nonprofit rescue. Last week we got approved by the IRS for 501c3 status :)" - Jaynelle, Friend Shaped Rescue
      • "You're all such amazing caretakers of others; I think it's a powerful exercise to write a thank you note to yourself. It helps you focus on all the good you're doing and the impact you have." - Alexis Pagoulatos
      • "Sent mine to my husband. He listens to my constant gripes and worries about work and he's always there to support, listen, cheer me on and help me through the hard times." - Alysia Martinez
      • "LOVE IT DONELL!!!! I second everything you said to yourself!!!" - Amber Eby
      • "Something we have done at our shelter is have little slips where fellow staff can write notes of gratitude to each other. We give name spots and message spots and hang them up. They can be anonymous or not." - Stefanie Cornell
      • "Thank you for a great session! Great way to reset!" - Beth Porter, Matchdog Rescue
      • "#ThanksToMaddie because of who we are able to have these gratitude conversations!" - Geraldine D'Silva
      • "The call I needed!  Thank you!" - April King
      • "Thank you so much, this was such an eye-opening conversation. Appreciate everyone's time today!" - Brittany Pratt
      • "Thank you!  This was exactly what I needed to be a part of today.  Grateful for you all." - Penny Paiich-Caraway
      • "This has been excellent and timely. Blessings! Definitely the call I needed, and I know that so many other people did as well." - Claire Walton
      • "I am so grateful for you, @José Ocaño. Thank you!! And thanks to Maddie's Fund!!!" - Mary Flores
      • "Thank you for this! Kinda needed it and very much appreciate it!" - Kristen Petrie
      • "Thank you. Great meeting. I think that this set of people need this." - Stefanie Holzman
      • "Thank you all, this was such a nice way to start off the week :)" - Celeste Morales



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    Sheila Kouhkan
    Senior Education Specialist
    Maddie's Fund
    CA
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  • 3.  RE: Community Conversations - 1/27/25 - Community Check-In

    Posted 13 days ago

    Huge thanks to everyone who joined Monday's Community Conversations call! It was so good to connect with you all and hold space for such an important conversation. I'm grateful to Tai and Jakie for sharing, and for everyone who participated by sharing, listening, and taking action by writing their note of gratitude. 

    During the end of the call, I shared about Hatching's Coherence & Compassion Workshop, which is all about helping animal welfare professionals, volunteers, and community members show up for themselves and their work in ways that are sustainable, energizing, and effective-not just for survival, but for long-term impact.

    Here's what we dive into:

    🔥 Coherence: How our nervous system reacts to stress (fight, flight, freeze, fawn) and how to shift into a state where we can think clearly, communicate better, and lead with intention-even in chaos.

    💛 Compassion: Flipping the script on compassion fatigue and exploring how compassion can actually fuel us rather than drain us. This session offers practical tools for self-compassion, emotional resilience, and putting compassion into action.

    If this resonates and you're interested in bringing this workshop to your team, let's talk! Shoot me an email at jose@hatching.me and we can chat about what it could look like for your organization.

    Looking forward to keeping this conversation going and supporting each other in creating more sustainable, compassionate workplaces.

    José :)

    #LiveBetterWorkBetter



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    José Ocaño
    Founder and CEO
    Hatching
    CA
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