Pet Talk

by Cathy Davis
    It is that time of year again. I don’t know what excites me more, the prospect of making 1,000 lunches or the fact that to me, this particular animal shelter project heralds in the beginning of spring.
    The St Patrick’s Day Box Lunch is just around the corner and we wanted to remind you to mark your calendars! We will be delivering lunches on Tuesday March 17 to businesses all over town, and outside town too! These lunches are just delicious, with three individually wrapped finger roll sandwiches, chips, Jell-O, and fabulous home made sweets. The lunch is big enough to satisfy even the most robust appetite, so forget the diet and join your friend and co-workers for an in-office picnic or take a few to some shut-in friends.
    There will be a volunteer dropping off order forms to your business somewhere between the sixth and ninth of March.  All order forms will be picked up by March 13, which will give us enough time to plan our delivery routes.
    If you would like to help, I have to tell you that this is the most fun project we do all year – we gather at the Congregational Church on High Street on the 16th and we start organizing, making sandwich filling and people start delivering their sweets. In the evening we have a crew who comes to fill the sandwiches, which are then chilled overnight. Early the next morning we have another crew that puts the lunches together and several teams of two who deliver.
    This is where we really need the help. We need sweets, anything from brownies to cookies to sweetbreads and we need 3,000 of them as each lunch has three sweets. If you are a member of a group or organization looking for a project, perhaps a baking night might be something you’d enjoy.
    The other place we really need help is delivering on Tuesday morning. We need at least five teams of two people to take these lunches all over town. So if you are retired and have a good-sized vehicle and you and your spouse would like to help out, this is a great opportunity for a fun morning.  If your civic group or organization has a few people who love to volunteer, have them call us and let us know they’re available. I like to know ahead of time how many teams we have for delivery, as this helps keep my blood pressure down.
    All of the money raised from this project goes directly to feed and care for the animals at the Shelter. We have a lot just waiting for new homes.
    If you haven’t visited the Shelter lately, you really need to stop by. The staff will give you a guided tour and you’ll have an opportunity to visit with, and perhaps fall in love with the many beautiful healthy animals in our care.
    If you have a soft spot for special needs animals, we have several. If you love the older more sedate, we have lots, if you think the younger more energetic critters are for you, then trust me, we have them. If you are a farmer looking for a barn cat, we do have a couple who would be happier in your barn than anywhere in the world.
    If you can help with the St. Patrick’s Day Box Lunch, please call the Shelter at 532-2862 and let them know what you can do so we can pencil you in, and if you wish to adopt, you can call the Shelter to find out what is available or stop by any time between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily (except Sundays, if you want to come Sunday, just call for an appointment).
    Thank you and have a great week!