CCHS Volunteer Newletter

October 2003

Hello Everyone!

We are now well into fall, and we are still as busy as
ever! This is a rather long newsletter with a lot of information, so please
read it thru to the end. We will need a lot of Volunteer help in the
upcoming months! We have a lot of things coming up in the next few months
so grab a pen an your calendars!

There will be an Adoption Counselor class on October 19th and 26th (both
Sunday's) from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Space is limited, so if you are
interested in the class, please sign up soon. I will need anyone interested
to sign up by Monday October 13th. If you would like more information on
Adoption Counseling before you sign up, please let me know so I can send you
the information before the class begins.

The first event of November is the Humane Society's "A Fetching Ball" dinner
and auction. This year it will be held on Friday, November 7th. We are
still collecting prizes for the event; so if you have any ideas for a prize,
or any leads on a prize, please let me know. I need volunteers to help with
all parts of the event, including set up on Friday morning. Set up will
begin at 9:00 am on the 7th at the Hawthorne, and will go until it is
completed. The more help we have setting up, the quicker it will go.
Please let me know if you will be able to help with set up by 5 pm on
Wednesday November 5th.

I still need some volunteers to help out the night of the event, from 5:00
to 10:30 pm. Please let me know if you would like to help, and what shift
you want to sign up for, by Saturday November 1st. The Shifts will run as
follows:

All evening: Check In: Check Out:
Yuppers:
5:00 pm - 10:30 pm 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm 8:30 pm - 10:30 pm
8:30 pm to 10:00 pm

(Yuppers will be responsible for "yupping" when someone bids during the live
auction. This will help the auctioneer find the bidders in a timely manner.
Yuppers should be willing to be in the spotlight as you will draw attention
to yourself, and should have a loud voice to be heard over the crowd in the
room. All evening shift volunteers will be given jobs as they are needed,
but should be willing to do both check in and check out. Please note that
you may be asked to be a yupper if we need the help.)

The next event in November will be the Chris Cringle Craft Show on Friday
the 14th and Saturday the 15th. We will be setting up on Thursday November
13th from 5 pm to 9 pm and we will need a few people to help get our booth
set up, stocked, and ready to go for Friday evening. If you are willing to
help set up, please let me know by 5 pm on Monday November 10th.

I will need people to help man our booth Friday evening and Saturday. If
you are interested in helping during the craft show itself, please let me
know what day and shift you can work by 5 pm on Monday November 10th as
well. The shifts will run as follows:

Friday November 14th: Saturday November 15th:
All Evening, 3:30 pm - 9:30 pm All Day, 7:45 am - 8 pm
First shift, 3:30 pm - 6:30 pm First shift, 7:45 am - 2 pm
Second Shift, 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm Second Shift, 2 pm - 8 pm

Don't put your calendar away yet, we have one more to go! Santa Paws will
be November 21st thru 23rd at Andre's Harley Davidson on Lincoln Ave in
Urbana. I am looking for volunteers to help with check in, check out,
posing, 'squeaking' (squeaking a dog toy to perk up those dogs and cats!),
and guys to play Santa. We will provide the Santa suit, but we will need
some of you patient guys to play the roll of the jolly old elf- with the
dogs and cats. You won't be in every picture, but be prepared to hold dogs,
cats, and maybe even some exotic pets (rabbits, guinea pigs, etc). We will
need lots of help with this event, so please let me know if you can help by
5 pm on Monday November 17th. The shifts will run as follows:

Friday the 21st: Saturday the 22nd: Sunday
the 23rd:
Set up, 10 am - noon All Day, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm All
Day, 11:30 am - 4:30
All evening, 3:30 pm - 8 pm 1st Shift, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm 1st
Shift, 11:30 am - 2 pm
1st Shift, 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm 2nd Shift, 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm 2nd
Shift, 2 pm -4:30 pm
2nd Shift, 5:30 pm - 8 pm Take
Down, 4:30 pm - 6 pm

We can also use help from any of you that do photography and are willing to
help take pictures. A local photographer is letting us use his equipment
(with a digital camera) for the weekend, but he will be unavailable to take
the pictures. If you are willing to help us take the pictures please let me
know by Monday November 17th at 5 pm.

Now, onto other volunteer notes! There have been three new volunteer
opportunities added to the volunteer program. They all will require a
weekly commitment, so please sign up only if you can commit to coming in on
the same day every week. If you are interested in any of these
opportunities, please let me know and we will see what we can set up:

Evening Animal Care Attendant - Volunteers needed to help staff tidy the
kennels and get ready for the next day. Volunteers will be needed from 4
to 6 pm once a week, Monday thru Saturday, on a regular basis. The
Volunteer will be responsible for scooping dog kennels, changing paper in
the puppy cages, changing litter boxes, stripping empty cat cages and
marking them for scrubbing; and filling water dishes in the adoptable
kennels. Volunteers must be able to commit to one day, once a week.

Kitty Candy Striper - Volunteers needed to socialize and cuddle cats in the
isolation ward between 3 pm and 6 pm Monday thru Saturday. Volunteers will
also need to clean out eyes and noses as needed. Volunteers must be able to
commit to one day, once a week. **Pre- requisite: must volunteer with cats
(cuddling, cleaning, or as a lab tech assistant) for a minimum of 3 months
before becoming a Kitty Candy Striper, and must come in at least once a
week.**

T-L-C Provider- Volunteers needed to socialize and cuddle with kittens in
the kitten nursery between 3 pm and 6 pm Monday thru Saturday. Volunteers
will also need to clean out eyes and noses as needed. Volunteers must be
able to commit to one day, once a week. **Pre-requisite: must volunteer
with cats (cuddling, cleaning, or as a lab tech assistant) for a minimum of
3 months before becoming a T-L-C Provider, and must come in at least once a
week.**

Cat Cuddlers will be happy to hear that Elliot and Ida went home last month-
and yes, they went home together. The dogs Mona and Chelsea also found
their new homes last month. Congratulations to them and all of the other
animals adopted in September!

I have a few other general notes to pass on to everyone:
-We are in the process of painting the front desk area. If anyone would
like to help do some of the grunt work and wash down walls before they are
painted, please let me know. We would need them to be washed in the next
few weeks.

-A huge thank you goes out to everyone that donated baskets for us to use
at A Fetching Ball. We can still use some small baskets for some of the
smaller prizes.

-Please remember to sign in and out, and always wear a nametag while you
are volunteering.

-There are new socializing logs. Please make sure you include the animal
ID# when you log down information on the animals. We have several animals
with the same name and the ID# is the only way to tell them apart.

-Please do not feed the cats or the dogs, except for the treats you give
them when you take them out (1 treat per dog, no more than 3 treats per
cat). Our staff take care of all feeding in the morning, and some animals
may be on a special diet. If you are concerned about an animal's food
amount, type, or schedule, please see one of the Front Desk staff and let
them know of your concerns. However, you are always welcome to give water
if any of the cats need it.

Thank you again for all that you do, we couldn't do our job without the help
of volunteers. Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or
ideas to improve the Volunteer Program. I am generally out of the office on
Tuesday's and Wednesday's, but if you need immediate assistance on either of
those days please contact Ann Strohmeyer at ann@cuhumane.org.


Julie

Julie Keith
Volunteer Coordinator
Champaign County Humane Society
1911 East Main Street . Urbana, IL 61802
Julie@cuhumane.org . www.cuhumane.org
(217) 344-9314 Phone . (217) 344-7299 Fax