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  • 1.  Seeking Advice and Support for TNR Event in the Hispanic Community

    Posted 12-11-2023 06:17 AM

    We are thrilled to announce the kickoff of our first TNR event for the Hispanic community. As we prepare for this initiative, we're seeking advice on effectively capturing volunteers' attention. Additionally, we are exploring partnerships with companies willing to provide food for the cats during the event.

    If any of you have valuable insights or recommendations on volunteer engagement strategies, or if you know of companies that might be interested in supporting our cause by supplying cat food, we would greatly appreciate your input.


    #CommunityCatManagement
    #EducationandTraining
    #FundraisingandDevelopment
    #PetSupportServices*

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    Myriam Martinez
    President
    Mujeres Latinas SC
    SC
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Seeking Advice and Support for TNR Event in the Hispanic Community

    Posted 12-21-2023 04:24 PM

    Hi Myriam, 

    I wanted to share this recording of a California for All Animals call featuring the incredible Debra Olmedo, ASPCA Community Outreach and Medical Care Senior Manager in Los Angeles. She shares how working alongside community caretakers has increased the amount of felines being altered and kept out of Animal Care Centers and may be a great resource for getting your community involved in TNR: https://www.californiaforallanimals.com/news-stories/debra-olmedo-meets-kittens-and-people-where-they-are/



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    Charlotte Otero
    Community Strategist at Maddie's Fund
    she/her
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Seeking Advice and Support for TNR Event in the Hispanic Community

    Posted 02-06-2024 07:02 AM

    What an exciting idea! BRAVA!  Some suggestions from my years working extensively with community nonprofits, government, and minority and excluded communities in my "real" job.  Target the largest nonprofits in your area you can see are truly already active in outreach. You may need to research a bit, as some claim they are amazing but you'll never see press releases, media, ads, or other continually active work on their part. 😘 I'd suggest talking to the City Planning Department as they are usually the ones who distribute grants for urban revitalization and they work with your target audience. Look for organizations like https://charlestonhispanicassociation.com/ and speak to them. If you can partner with organizations like these it helps them look good (community outreach and engagement numbers) and helps you extend your message through already accepted and respected organizations. Do you have a Spanish-language newspaper or radio station in your area? Offer to speak on the air about the need for your program and how it helps. Put a few LARGE ads in the newspaper and be sure to include all local media, and appropriate government agencies (Mayor, City Councilmembers, Planning Department, HR) in your press releases. 

    Community partnerships extend your outreach at little cost to you. The effort you make pays back 100-fold. It also boosts your integrity in the community. On the down side, prepare to field questions about low-cost spay/neuter and keep a list of veterinarians who are fluent in Spanish!  Once you are a trusted resource you'll find you'll be asked for a lot of related pet ownership information. It may be least expensive to post this on your website.

    Is this extra work? Yes, up front, it is. But the amazing benefits are surely worth it! When people are able and willing to pass along information for you (neighborhood groups, barber shops, ask you to staff a table outside the Mercado) your will have a HUGE increase in outreach and uptake.

    Do go out to personally meet with the dean of the area veterinary colleges to ask them to provide students to volunteer one weekend a month to spay/neuter your cats and provide low-cost spay/neuter/vaccination clinics for your target population. You may need to find a hall to rent for those days as most veterinarians' insurers will scream like banshees if they find out their offices have anyone else "practicing" in them. 🙄 You can apply for grants to local and national organizations for grants for mobile spay/neuter clinics. Speak to rescues like Light Shine https://lightshinerezdogs.org/ ho do an AMAZING job providing spay/neuter/vaccination clinics to a population with many needs similar to your targeted clientele.

    Wishing you all the very best!!!



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    Lou Meyers
    Trainer/Foster Home
    Dog Training & Behaviour
    NE
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Seeking Advice and Support for TNR Event in the Hispanic Community

    Posted 12-22-2023 10:29 AM

    I have found that I get a better and bigger response from potential attendees if I don't put "TNR," "Trapping," or "Feral cats" in the event name. My events or "volunteer job" postings for our TNR team are usually under titles like:

    • Help cats in our community
    • Learn how to help cats in need
    • Become an advoCATe for cats

    And my detailed description starts by focusing on the statistics and goals of our program before diving into TNR:

    Did you know that 80% of the kittens in animal shelters nation-wide come from outdoor roaming cats? OR that a female kitten can get pregnant at 4 months of age? We believe the key to lowering that number of unwanted cats is spaying and neutering. The Community Cat Crew is a group of a-meow-zing volunteers who use a process called Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)... (and so on from there)



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    Erin Dams
    Community Relations Coordinator
    Roanoke Valley SPCA
    Roanoke VA
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: Seeking Advice and Support for TNR Event in the Hispanic Community

    Posted 01-31-2024 08:10 AM

    Hi Myriam! Super excited to see this new project! How has it been going? Is the goal of the program to get a hispanic volunteer population going? I have worked for a while with mainly spanish-speakers and my biggest take - aways have been that:
    1 - English created materials are not as effective when targeting a different language. Creating messages in the language you are intending appears to be more effective. 
    2- There already are people in the community that helping cats/kittens, partnering with them immediately increases the message being spread, and helps strengthen community relationships.

    Would love to connect if you have any further questions! 



    ------------------------------
    Debra Olmedo
    ASPCA
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  • 6.  RE: Seeking Advice and Support for TNR Event in the Hispanic Community

    Posted 01-31-2024 07:03 PM

    Dear Debra Olmedo,  This project has provided me with a wealth of knowledge about cats. It's incredible how much information I've been missing, and with all the help I've received from each of you, my research has become much more manageable.

    My primary concern now is that despite reaching out to our community cats in Charleston, I haven't received any responses regarding finding someone to participate in our event, deliver a speech, and share their experiences with the TNR program.

    We still have some time, and I'm hopeful to find someone willing to help me. Thank you for your message, and, of course, I will keep all of you updated on my event.



    ------------------------------
    Myriam Martinez
    President
    Mujeres Latinas SC
    SC
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Seeking Advice and Support for TNR Event in the Hispanic Community

    Posted 02-05-2024 10:15 AM

    Have you reached out to https://charlestonanimalsociety.org yet? They are a great local organization!



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    Maria Saucedo
    GIS Analyst
    Pets for Life at HSUS
    Baltimore, MD
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Seeking Advice and Support for TNR Event in the Hispanic Community

    Posted 02-01-2024 04:38 PM

    Thank you so much for keeping an eye on me. Our TNR teaching class is just around the corner. I'm excited to share that we've received an email from Community Cats in Charleston, and three volunteers will be attending our event. They will be sharing their experiences and providing insights on how to set up a cat trap and more. Looking forward to the valuable knowledge they will bring to enhance our session.

    I am confident that our event will be a success because no other organization has been actively addressing the needs of the Hispanic community. This is a significant oversight that our organization is dedicated to rectifying. I believe our community will appreciate and actively participate in this event, filling a crucial gap in information and engagement.



    ------------------------------
    Myriam Martinez
    President
    Mujeres Latinas SC
    SC
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Seeking Advice and Support for TNR Event in the Hispanic Community

    Posted 02-05-2024 03:47 PM

    Thank you for asking. I'm really excited about this program for the Hispanic community. It will be the first time here in Charleston because no other organization from our community has targeted this subject before. I think that's why I cannot find the support I am looking for. However, all communities are very welcome. I am going to print information in English, Spanish, and I'm considering Portuguese as well.



    ------------------------------
    Myriam Martinez
    President
    Mujeres Latinas SC
    SC
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


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