PAWS for People Community Newsletter: Early April, 2022 |
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PAWS Pet Therapy Supports Workplace Wellbeing! |
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PAWS has recently been invited to make inaugural visits to the Blood Bank of Delmarva, CSC, and Barclays. With heightened levels of stress in their workplaces during the pandemic, they thought that a little pet therapy from some furry friends was just what they needed to put smiles on the faces of their employees. They were right! The special PAWS to DeStress sessions brought rave reviews from everyone – employees, administration, and the PAWS teams.
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Many studies have found that when people take even just a few moments to pet an animal, their stress and anxiety levels decline. Research also shows that the presence of therapy animals in the workplace often leads to more productive coworker interaction, increased trust levels, and more effective collaboration. If your workplace would like to request PAWS to DeStress sessions, please visit our website and fill out a request: pawsforpeople.org/request-paws/request-presentation/
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Thank You to Delaware HOSA |
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The students of Delaware HOSA – Future Health Professionals continued their tradition of raising funds for PAWS for People this year. In past years, PAWS teams provided some much needed DeStress for students during their three-day conference which includes competitions in many areas. Although this year’s conference was held virtually, the students still wanted to help provide pet therapy to those who need it. Thank you to this amazing group of students for raising funds and remembering your friends at PAWS! |
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Pet Therapy in Action This Week |
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Rosie (Marina Krasnopolsky) had a special visit with a young patient at Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware.
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Daisy (Kelly McIntyre) was a big hit yesterday at Georgetown Elementary School. She got lots of belly rubs and gave LOTS of kisses. |
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Meet Our Fabulous Interns |
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PAWS lucked out this semester with two talented interns from the University of Delaware and, believe it or not, one from the Illinois! Devon Biesecker and Krystie Catalano have been spending hours and hours in our Newark office researching information about Covid to include in the course/zoom/chat we are planning around the effects Covid has had on all of us – pups included. Both Health Behavior Science majors, they also have been going out on visits when possible and working with Susan Pfadt on the Adults with Disabilities program. And for the first time ever, we have a virtual intern Taylor Cole (not pictured) who is a Speech/Language major at Illinois State. She is creating the speech section of the Adults with Disabilities program revision. We have 3 very industrious productive young women working with us and besides doing good work, they are each delightful. |
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Did You Know? Adults with Disabilities
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PAWS Adults with Disabilities program, designed to help our teams visit people with various disabilities, has been around for many years. It’s time to update its material and develop a better way to prepare and encourage our teams to try this type of visit.
It isn’t easy to work with folks who may not talk to you or who have physical impairments that make it hard for them to pet your pup. At first your visits may feel like they don’t make a difference, but they do! Helping someone reach a little farther to pet your dog or work a little harder to speak your dog’s name is immensely rewarding. What we may think are imperceptible steps are BIG STEPS for folks at CERTS or Easter Seals or Chimes, etc.
Thanks to the funding support provided by our partner Discover, PAWS is now working to make our Adults with Disabilities program to become stronger, more supportive, and meaningful to everyone involved. We’re interviewing the experts, talking to our teams who currently visit, and researching visiting techniques and what these folks most need from us.
When we roll out our new and improved Disabilities program hopefully you will take the class. Our goal is to dispel some of the hesitancy you might have about these visits, so you and your therapy pet can work with some very deserving folks that need you.
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According to John DeSantis, his Rough Collie Ingrid, is “a once in a lifetime dog.” Joining PAWS in April 2021 with previous volunteer experience and AKC credentials, John and Ingrid began providing much-needed DeStress to students at Radnor Township School District.
Ingrid has brought smiles to shoppers at our Barnes & Noble Book Fair in Exton as well as attendees of the Helicopter Museum Family Fest, along with many other Community Events. Once Covid-19 vaccinations became available to the 5-11 age group, John and Ingrid showed up to helped calm nervous recipients at the Radnor Elementary Vaccination Clinic, with great success.
Thank You, John and Ingrid, for getting off to such a great start in sharing that special "Collie mystique,” lifting the spirits of the young and old throughout the Chester County area during this past year. Bravo to you both!
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Bob Jarvis and his sweet, loveable, Golden Retriever, Dagda, have been members of PAWS since April 2021.
Bob had therapy dog experience with his previous Goldens before he came to PAWS with Dagda. He felt it was important because of the good it brings to the residents we visit, and it's one way to give back to the community.
Bob and Dagda visit at the Western Family YMCA by giving DeStress sessions to the members. They are a huge hit at Sean’s House in Newark where they DeStress students who seek a moment of calm and companionship. Bob and Dagda can also be found at Community Events.
Thank you, Bob, for volunteering your time so generously. Thank you, Dagda, for bringing fluffy affection to your visits and furry comfort to all who need it.
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Thanks to our PAWS Partners |
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Donate While You Shop
The AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases when selected by customers. Choose PAWS for People when you log in: smile.amazon.com
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