Weekly Volunteer Update

Good Wednesday, All!

I’m just gonna start with the Hot News first: Fanta and Pistachio, our long-term black cats got adopted! Thank you Kathy for fostering these guys for so long.

Next up: thanks everyone who has jumped in for Maddie’s adoptathon shifts! We’ve got a few left: Check them out hereand let me know. We can also rescue a few more dogs in time for the Adoptathon, but need a few more temporary fosters- let me or Erica know if you can foster for a week or two!  Maddie’s is a huge opportunity for the animals and for the public to get to know Hopalong, so thank you dog and cat people, volunteers and fosters for making this such a success!

This Saturday was our flyering blitz and it was GREAT! Our volunteers created a database of over 250 places to plaster with flyers and brochures and the folks who came out this weekend hit over 70 of them! This is an opportunity anyone can participate in anytime, anywhere! The flyers are available online to download and print- post them just about anywhere you think someone like you might see them! If you’d like to come pick them up at the office, we’ve got them here for you, as well.

Thank you everyone, and have a fabulous afternoon.

Maddie's Spots Still Open!

UPDATED 5/29/13

Want to get your volunteering on? We've still got some spots left at the Maddie's Adoptathon coming up THIS WEEKEND (June 1st and 2nd) at Emeryville Bay Street. Email lauren@hopalong.org to sign up!

SATURDAY JUNE 1st:

3 2 dog handlers (10 am - 2 pm)

1 dog coordinator (10 am - 2 pm)

3 dog handlers (2 pm - 6 pm)



SUNDAY JUNE 2nd:

2 dog handlers (10 am - 2 pm)

1 dog coordinator (2 pm - 6 pm)

2 people for set up (10 am - 11 am can be people on the AM shift)

6 3 handlers in the afternoon (2 om-6 pm)

2 people for break down (can be a dog handler, some time in the afternoon- must be flexible.)

We may need a transport person (6-7, can be a dog handler, some time in the afternoon- must be flexible)

Opportunities

MADDIE'S! Check out the updated list of spots available at Maddie's Adoptathon June 1st and 2nd.

Fosters Needed: We're getting swamped with calls from shelters for dogs and kittens. If you've thought about it but haven't or haven't fostered in awhile or know someone who might be interested in fostering, please let us know! lauren@hopalong.org

Follow-up Flyering: Flyering Blitz was a huge success. We've still got a great list of spots to hit with flyers and brochures, or you can go to your own favorite spots. There are materials here for you or you can print your own.

Weekly Volunteer Update

This will be a slightly longer weekly update, so bear with me!

This Saturday, May 18th is your chance to do something totally and completely different while helping out. We’ve prepared Brand New Flyers to post all over the East Bay. We’ve done all the leg work: printed the flyers, sorted the brochures and picked targeted places to post. We’ve even sorted these places by neighborhood. All you need to do is stop by the office and pick up some brochures and flyers and go home and hit spots in your neighborhood.  Stop by the office Saturday between 9:30 and 10:00 or between 11:00 and 11:30 and pick up flyers and pastries!  (If you’d like to post flyers and don’t want to come to the office, that’s fine, too, just let me know!) If we haven’t met, this is also a great chance to say “hi”- I’ll be here handing out pastries and flyers and just generally being friendly!

In case I haven’t mentioned it in a day or two, it’s kitten season! We could really use more cat/kitten fosters, and as always, kitten food, especially dry. Contact Samantha (samantha@hopalong.org) if you’re interested in fostering.

Don’t forget the Maddie’s Adoption is coming up June 1^st and 2^nd. We’ve still got plenty of spots for dog handlers, transporters and set up/break down. This is a Really Fun Event!

And, we like to plan in advance: Hopalong is gearing up for our big 20^th Anniversary Celebration October 12^th. We have a number of event planning needs: helping with our silent auction, storytelling video promos, media outreach, event coordination, task-list tracking, RSVP management, etc. Speak up if you’re interested!

This week’s thank you’s go to Mobile Coordinators Steve, Casey, Andrew and Melinda for coming in on Saturday: we’re working on improving our mobile adoption process for everyone involved- volunteers, fosters and adopters. If you’re involved in dog mobiles, stay tuned for new and improved guidelines/training.

Thank you again for all of your hard work- it’s been a great week and it’s going to be a fabulous month.

New Cat Room!

Samantha shares her love for the new cat room:

Spacious and sunny, Hopalong’s new cat loft above the office, is providing a relaxing haven for our long-term feline residents waiting for their forever homes.  Thanks to generous donors, you’ll find our kitty residents lounging on a variety of cat trees, occasionally offering a meow of encouragement to the hard-working volunteers in the large room below them. If you’re interested in coming by to see the new cat room and socialize with the office four-legged friends , email the volunteer coordinator to set up a visit at Lauren@hopalong.org.

Opportunities

Flyering Blitz is this SATURDAY!

This Saturday, May 18th is your chance to do something totally and completely different while helping out. We’ve prepared Brand New Flyers to post all over the East Bay. We’ve done all the leg work: printed the flyers, sorted the brochures and picked targeted places to post. We’ve even sorted these places by neighborhood. All you need to do is stop by the office and pick up some brochures and flyers and go home and hit spots in your neighborhood.  Stop by the office Saturday between 9:30 and 10:00 or between 11:00 and 11:30 and pick up flyers and pastries!  (If you’d like to post flyers and don’t want to come to the office, that’s fine, too, just let me know!) If we haven’t met, this is also a great chance to say “hi”- I’ll be here handing out pastries and flyers and just generally being friendly!

MADDIE'S! If you're available June 1st or 2nd, let us know now! Either day is great- no need to commit to both days. We'll need tablers, handlers, coordinators, transporters- basically, everyone!

• Fosters Needed: We're getting swamped with calls for dogs and kittens. If you've thought about it but haven't or haven't fostered in awhile or know someone who might be interested in fostering, please let us know! lauren@hopalong.org

Weekly Volunteer Update

Good Afternoon Volunteers, Fosters and Other Dear Readers,

It is that time- Maddie’s Adoptathon! If you haven’t participated before, this is a Bay Area wide event: adoptions are free to qualified homes in order to give more shelter animals a second chance. 
We will have tons of animals for adoption and rely on volunteers to make this event a success (it always is!). So, if you are free June 1 and/or 2^nd, please let me know now! We’ll have all kinds of positions available- we’ll figure out what’s a good match for your interests! The event takes place at Bay Street in Emeryville and runs all day, both days. If you can only come part of the day, that’s fine, too!

Okay. These guys are adorable, right? There are five of these lab mixes, they’re 3 months old, they’re arriving on Friday, and they’re looking for foster! We really don’t want to board them- what puppy wants to go into boarding?- so if you’ve got space for even one of them, even for the weekend (but we bet you’ll end up loving them for longer), please let Erica know (Erica@hopalong.org)

Marilyn (the boy cat) got adopted this week! And special thanks to Clarissa and Danielle for their hard work on our flyering project. Save the date: May 18^th is our flyering blitz. I provide the coffee and donuts, you provide the footwork- getting flyers out in your neighborhood!

Thanks everyone. As always, there are tons of opportunities to help on the current opportunities page on the blog and if you’re the crafty type, I’ve added some DIY projectsas well. And we always, always need kitten food!

Thanks guys, this has really been a successful week!

Feeling Crafty?

Can't foster but want to help out the animals in foster? Like DIY projects? Just... want to do something cool? Check out some of these projects.

• Vintage cat beds. Here are some instructions- you don't need to go quite this ornate, but cool project!

• TENNIS BALL DUMBELLS: (great for small dogs)

Collect multiple new tube/crew socks or unstained, unholy gently used socks. Collect multiple tennis balls.Stuff a ball into a sock, tie a knot as close as to the ball as possible. Stuff another ball into same sock, and tie another knot. Decorate socks as desired using permanent non-toxic markers.

• Sweater cat bed. Also very awesome- who knew? (Instructions are on the picture)
• KITTYWANDS: 

Purchase a wooden dowel from any craft store (you can also buy pre-cut dowels. I’ve found them at JoAnns and Walmart). We prefer dowels that are at least 5/16” round (any smaller and they will break too easily). The dowels may be a little larger, but not by much. 

If you bought a 36” long dowel, cut into three even pieces, about 12” long.

Take 1-3 strips of Polarfleece, about an inch in diameter, and about a foot long once stretched. Please do not use any more than three strips of Polarfleece. 

Take about 6 inches of duct tape or electrical tape and secure the Polarfleece strips to the end of one dowel. Duct and electrical tape now comes in many different colors and patterns, but plain works just fine.

Be sure to begin the tape on the wood, and tighten as you go to secure the Polarfleece strips. 

Please do not use ribbon or string in place of Polarfleece, we find that our kitties fill sometimes ingest these products which is not safe.

• TUGBRAIDS: 

Collect polarfleece. You can buy yards at any fabric store, use old polarfleece blankets, or even Snuggies!

For larger dogs, cut three 1-2” x 36” strips. For small dogs, cut 1” x 12” strips. For cats, cut three ½” x 8” strips.

Knot top end, braid, then knot bottom end. Keep tightening the braid as you go! You can make them specifically for cats by “charging” them with catnip. Once braided, tuck them into any bag or container with catnip. You can also push strips of newspaper into the braid for our cats to play with.

Weekly Volunteer Update

Hi everyone,

It’s been a very busy week around here and volunteers and fosters are really stepping it up: we are all very grateful.

Couple new opportunities:

• Cat cuddling at the office in the new office cat room. We've got spots almost daily for cat cuddling and cleaning. Let me know when you’d like to come in.
• Maddie’s Adoptathon June 1-2nd. Planning ahead for this one, because it’s an all-hands on deck kind of affair. More details will be coming soon, but go ahead and start letting me know if you’re free either or both of these two days, as I can guarantee that we will need you!

And have you heard about the CatVidFest? It’s one of those newfangled internet-meme types of things happening on May 11th in Oakland and Hopalong will be there.

Cool adoptions this week: Two kittens at Your Basic Bird who were literally there less than ½ hour before getting adopted! This may be a new record.

New feature on the blog: Donation Wishlist! (I know I’m demanding, but now that I've gotten you used to the Volunteer Database, bookmark and start checking out this blog on the regular! I’m keeping this as up-to-date as possible in order to keep the emails to a minimum. Feedback welcome.) This week, we’re featuring KITTEN FOOD requests. Those things are already eating everything in sight and we’re just warming up!

Special thank you’s to Joanne for a couple last-minute drives, to new volunteers Alexia and Julie for stepping up for PetCo shifts! Also thank you to foster Ben for taking that crazy cute hound. Right??

Have a great rest-of-week!

Opportunities

• Online research: if you like to research, we've got lots of topics we need data for. Marketing, areas in the community that would be good to reach out to about our spay/neuter program, humane education areas, etc. Let Lauren know if this is something you like to do.
• Cat Cuddling: The cat room is ready and occupied and we have morning and evening shifts that need cuddling and cleaning. We have shifts available daily! Get your cat (and soon kitten) fix. Contact Lauren.