Thanks to the 198+ people who joined us on today's call! And a very special thank you to our guest speakers @Lawrence Minnis and @Alex Levine Clardy. The recording is now available to watch and share with your networks. I've also attached a copy of Lawrence's slides to this reply.
Congratulations to our January 2024 grant winners who were announced on today's call! Our two winners of $2,500 each for the Weekly Community Conversations giveaway were: Claudia Labbe, YOUR Humane Society SPCA (Lake Panasoffkee, FL) and Claudia Padilla, Happy Bunny Project (Houston, TX)! The January Maddie's Pet Forum $3,000 grant winner was @April King, Kotor Kitties (Seattle, WA) 🎉
Call Recap
- Welcome from hosts
- Shannon Martin-Roebuck, Executive Director, Bridging Impact
- Lawrence Minnis, Director of Workforce Development, Humane Rescue Alliance
- Question of the Day: If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
- "Have confidence and have adventures!" - April King
- "Change is a process, not an event." - Sarah Devaney
- "Be flexible. Have a home life." - Kristin Moro
- "Don't let your past form your future." - Christina Avila
- "Follow your heart." - Anita Selby
- "That making mistakes are part of learning." - Sharon@MaddiesFund.org
- "I'd say travel as much as possible! You won't get the time back." - Heidi Schmitt
- "Not be so consumed with what others think." - Christy Schilling
- "Don't take yourself so seriously..." - Mary Flores
- "It gets better." - Jenna Riedi
- "More travel" - Genevieve Frederick
- "Have a purpose." - Marianne Pestana
- "Take Chances" - Kate Marshall
- "Live your life with integrity." - Lea Ann Gross
- "Laugh at yourself." - June Thomas
- "Have more confidence and travel more!" - Martha Cassidy Geri
- "Mistakes will happen - just do it!" - Sara Price
- "Don't abandon your passions/loves." - Alicia Curley
- "Enjoy the sunshine, dance in the rain." - Molly Keith
- "Be authentic, vulnerable, and curious!" - Cory Cerussi
- "Surround yourself with people that bring positivity into your life." - Maylen Garcia
- "Life is full of ups and downs, and you never know what someone else is going through." - Alex Levine Clardy
- "To my younger self: you're not broken, your brain is just spicy 😆" - Zan Lowell
- "There is no tomorrow. You do things in life either right now or too late!!!" - Vincent
- "Retire early from nuclear power and start this volunteer job with the animals so much sooner!!!!" - Peg Lucky
- "Don't be afraid to make space for yourself." - Claire Walton
- January 2024 Grant Giveaway Winners
- Congratulations to our January Community Conversation Winners of $2,500 each:
- Claudia Labbe, YOUR Humane Society SPCA (Lake Panasoffkee, FL)
- "Thank you to Maddie's Fund for this grant prize as this helps us have some breathing room with our budgeting so tight."
- Claudia Padilla, Happy Bunny Project (Houston, TX)
- Congratulations to our Maddie's Pet Forum Winner of $3,000
- April King, Kotor Kitties (Seattle, WA)
- National Updates
- New Maddie's Insights webcast – research you can use right now! Tune in this Thursday, February 8 at 12n Pacific / 3p Eastern for The Influence of Field Trip and Sleepover Programs on Shelter Dog Welfare with Dr. Lisa Gunter. Register and if you can't make the live event, we'll let you know when the recording is ready. https://maddies.fund/MIwebcasts
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"Back Where They Belong" is a 2-day online event on 2/21 and 2/28. Learn more about the Back Where They Belong event and register now - www.ShelterSummit.com. Download a flyer (or share this link) about the Back Where They Belong event to share with your team - http://tinyurl.com/BWTB-Flyer
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Maddie's Fund Monthly Giveaways! Enter here for a chance to win CA$H: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-feb24-giveaway.htm Open to all who are watching live or on-demand! Be sure to enter each week you attend!
- Today's Presentation: Paws for Inclusion: Exploring Disability Diversity in Animal Welfare
- Speakers:
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Lawrence Minnis, Director of Workforce Development, Humane Rescue Alliance
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Alex Levine Clardy, Director of Development, Animal Protective Association of Missouri
- Related Links:
- Highlights from the Chat
- "I love how Ebony is so relaxed and is so connected to you physically. ❤️" - Leah D'Ambrosio
- "Your dogs look like they really love and respect you, Lawrence!" - Irene Chansawang
- "Thank you for your vulnerability in sharing this great story and your 'why'" - Shannon Roebuck
- "Who is cutting onions in here? This is so profoundly beautiful- thank you for sharing, Lawrence." - Sheila Kouhkan
- "Animals are great for our mental health; we have to focus on caring for them" - Anita Selby
- "Thank you for this wonderful inspiration, Lawrence!" - Amy Joshua
- "Thank you for sharing such an impactful story! ❤️" - Suliana Lutin
- "Thanks. That was inspiring, Lawrence." - Omotola Badamasi
- "All that and you're still smiling Lawrence. Respect!!!" - Vincent
- "I never stopped. It would take too much energy not to smile and I focused on steering all my effort into recovery." - Lawrence Minnis
- "I was stationed in Bremerhaven. Thanks for sharing your story." - Ernest Hagan
- "I love this! Such a unique and cool idea that I had no clue about!" - Cecilia Oliveros
- "Yeeeessss. Great news. If you want, we can help you with translation" - Myriam Martinez
- "Excellent info, Alex. And thank you for sharing, Lawrence. Your varied service to our community and country is much appreciated!" - Amy Charles
- "Wonderful to see how the program has evolved, Alex. Thank you!" - Irene Chansawang
- "I work at PAWS NY, a nonprofit organization that helps low-income individuals with disability and illness with pet care, including walks, house call visits, foster for long term hospital stays, vet care and pet pantry help, keeping animals and people together. We never want to see an animal go to a shelter because a person who is going through medical crisis or disability/illness and can't care for their pet. PAWS Housecall has volunteers do daily visits for individuals who need assistance." - David PAWS NY
- "Thank you!! I love the sensory bag idea and the inspirational story from Lawrence to think outside of the box with inclusivity." - Marit Ortega
- "Great stuff! We just started having neuro-divergent High School students visit our shelter on a weekly basis." - Erin Hooks
- "Claudia Labbe of YOUR Humane Society SPCA also won an Open Arms Challenge in 2023 for their program supporting disability inclusion." - Irene Chansawang
- "We are close to an Air Force base. I am inspired to reach out and see what avenues can be explored." - Amy Joshua
- "Feeding Pets of the Homeless has a flyer in Spanish and we have a case manager who speaks Spanish when a person experiencing homelessness has an ill or injured pet. We pay at time of service at one of our network hospitals across the country." - Genevieve Frederick
- "Does anyone have experience working with persons with dementia, and building animal related interactive programs for them?" - Alicia Curley
- "@Alicia Curley We have a program called "Pet Reach" that bring foster pets into assisted living facilities and have had a very positive experience from people experiencing dementia and Alzheimer's. The staff of those memory care facilities are very involved as they have to help with the care but have said that the dogs or cats they have fostered in the facility has really helped the individuals." - Alex Levine Clardy
- "As a William and Mary grad, thrilled to hear what is happening for animals in the Burg and environs! Way to go @Bob T - Williamsburg" - Claire Walton
- "Wonderful programs and ideas. Thank you!" - Penny Leisch
- "Kids, Cats, and K9s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/667574987790717" - Bob T - Williamsburg
- "Great information. Thank you!" - Claire Walton
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Charlotte Otero
Community Strategist at Maddie's Fund
she/her
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-01-2024 12:32 PM
From: Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Subject: Community Conversations - 2/5/24 - Paws for Inclusion: Exploring Disability Diversity in Animal Welfare
Updated 2/5/24 at 3:07pm: Recording now available to watch on-demand!
We hope to see you on Monday, 2/5/24 at 11am PT for our next Community Conversations call! We will be joined by our guest speakers @Lawrence Minnis, Director of Workforce Development at Humane Rescue Alliance and @Alex Levine Clardy, Director of Development at Animal Protective Association of Missouri for an engaging discussion on disability inclusion in animal welfare, where we'll explore the transformative impact of creating accessible and inclusive environments. Discover how embracing diversity within our organizations not only enriches our work but also enhances the well-being of animals and individuals with disabilities. Through insightful conversations on the power of human-animal interaction, we'll uncover strategies for fostering inclusivity and empowerment. Get ready to be inspired and equipped with practical insights for building a more inclusive future in animal care.
Maddie's Fund will also be announcing the January 2024 grant winners for Community Conversations and Maddie's Pet Forum! Be sure to tune in to see if you've won. Register here for our Weekly Community Conversations Calls taking place on Mondays at 11am PT: maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration
#Diversity,Equity,InclusionandJustice
#OrganizationalManagement
#PeopleManagement(includingVolunteerIntegration)
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Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Maddie's Fund
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