PAWS for People Community Newsletter: Early August, 2022 |
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PAWS’ Teams Provide Comfort
Quietly and With Great Care
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PAWS for People has created a program expressly to train and provide therapy teams to share their pups with those grieving the loss of a loved one. PAWS to Comfort currently has 24 therapy teams trained and ready to respond quickly when the call goes out asking for teams to attend a funeral or sit with a family as they make funeral arrangements or be present for a whole school when a beloved principal is killed suddenly or a fellow student commits suicide.
Lois Brooks and Becky Cronin, both long time PAWS members, felt there was a need in the community for a better way to mourn a loss and the better way included our therapy pets. They knew the power of pet therapy and PAWS’ therapy pets’ ability to help people through the angst and pain of loss by providing comfort and a bit of normalcy during a very difficult situation. They created a PAWS program to teach our teams ways to help people cope during their mourning and to in turn help our teams deal with the resulting feelings just being in that situation might bring up.
And so PAWS for Comfort was born. Two of our local funeral homes now have agreements with us to provide PAWS for Comfort teams when requested (thank you to Karen Feeley at Strano and Feeley and Todd Harra of McCrery and Harra). Our teams are also available for in-home requests for after a funeral for people who realize that they are still grieving and could benefit from a visit from a team trained to help as they continue to mourn their loss. In addition, we have PAWS to Comfort teams that are providing DeStress at a support group held in New Castle created for folks mourning someone who has died from drug addiction or someone in recovery from drug addiction and want to share their story or those fighting to start or remain in recovery themselves.
PAWS to Comfort has been created to help anyone in our community. Our therapy teams are in demand due to the comfort and peace they bring to people in immediate need. If you would like to explore the possibility of becoming a PAWS to Comfort therapy team, call the PAWS office at 302-351-5622 and let us know you are interested. There will soon be another PAWS for Comfort class. And if you are not a PAWS member, you can request our teams to attend an event to comfort and calm those who are grieving whenever you need us.
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WAG & Walkathon Teams:
More Friends and More Fun!
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People often learn about PAWS for People through our events. At the 2021 WAG & Walkathon, Sherrie’s Skywalkers took that first encounter to the next level. This enthusiastic group of friends and family learned about PAWS and the WAG & Walkathon and chose the cumulative marathon as their incentive to get healthier and more active. While they had not been involved with PAWS before, the flexibility to go at their own pace and walk where it was convenient made the WAG & Walkathon a good fit for their group.
They formed a team of 11 people and encouraged and cheered each other to that 26.2 mile goal, raising over $500 for PAWS for People along the way. At the end of the month, they came to the Cross the Finish Line event in their matching t-shirts and shared their enthusiasm and joy, getting to know several PAWS teams and making the most of the day.
Whether you just heard about PAWS or the WAG & Walkathon or you’ve been a PAWS volunteer for 10 years, forming a team to Wag Your Tail on the Trails this fall is a great way to participate. As an added incentive, if you form a team with at least 5 members by August 31st you will be eligible to win a $50 Rita’s gift card!
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Get Started
This year’s WAG & Walkathon in partnership with the Kennel Club of Philadelphia's National Dog Show will include a Facebook Live Step Off event, a month of mile-tracking & fun challenges, and conclude with a Cross the Finish Line Celebration on Saturday October 15th at Glasgow Park in Newark, DE. Track your miles and participate in fun contests for people and pets if you wish.
Log 26.2 miles in 30 days and tell all of your friends that you completed a marathon!
Important Dates:
Thursday, September 15 - Facebook Live Step-Off
- Watch for more info about multiple in-person events
September 15 - October 15 - Cumulative Marathon
Saturday, October 15 - Cross the Finish Line Event
- Location: Glasgow Park, 227 Pulaski Highway, Newark, DE
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Benny (Corrine Wilson) makes friends with a participant at C.E.R.T.S. Adult Action Center in Smyrna, DE. |
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Frangelica (Kathryn Meloni) listens to a reader while enjoying some love a the Media-Upper Providence Free Library in Media, PA.
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Did You Know?
August is National Make a Will Month
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August is full of some fun “National Days” with Black Cat Appreciation -17th, Waffle Day - 24th, and National Dog Day - 26th. But did you know that AUGUST is “National Make a Will Month”?
This is a great reminder of the importance of having an estate plan to ensure your final wishes are executed as you intended. Many of us think about making or updating our will – but for many reasons, we just don’t get around to it. “I’m not wealthy and don’t need a will” is a big misconception!
Regardless of your level of wealth, an estate plan can bring peace of mind and ease to your family upon your passing. It’s already a difficult time and without a will, things can get complicated – leading to state involvement, possible family disputes, and delayed estate settlement. You do your family a great favor by getting your affairs in order.
Making a will does not need to be a lengthy or costly process. There are many tips that will help you get started, such as:
Listing all your assets, such as your home, vehicles, bank accounts, etc.
Organizing important information and valuables
Reviewing beneficiary designations on insurance policies, retirement accounts, etc. to ensure that the names are current - situations change
Congratulations if you already have an estate plan. Remember that it’s important to review your will every 5 years or so, to make any updates and changes to your wishes. Tax laws change as does your personal situation.
Have you considered including a charitable organization in your will or as a beneficiary of one of your accounts? You can leave a percentage to one or multiple charities. For example, you can designate a family member to receive 75% of your life insurance policy and the remaining 25% to PAWS for People, or designate a certain percentage of your estate.
It’s AUGUST… time to get thinking and working on estate planning! Connect with a lawyer or review online information to learn more.
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Dana Thomas joined PAWS for People in February of 2019 with her sweet and adorable Boston Terrier, Millie. Dana and Millie work wonderfully as a team. Since Millie is deaf, Dana has trained Millie to follow hand signals, and they passed their certification at the advanced level.
This magnificent team has been spreading joy at the Ronald McDonald house ever since. Sharing Millie with all the children and families and helping them understand Millie’s abilities is a wonderful gift to the community, sharing encouragement along the way.
Dana and Millie also participate in many community events to help spread the word about PAWS and educate the community about pet therapy.
Thank you, Dana and Millie, for sharing your sweet and encouraging visiting style with the community and always leaving folks with a smile. We are so thankful for your dedication to PAWS and the people you visit.
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Tawanda Harbison joined PAWS for People in March of 2013 with her very handsome Puggle, Mr. Gibbs. This dynamic duo has participated in just about every type of program PAWS has to offer. They have visited with children in the Autism program, in other schools programs, libraries, pre-K classrooms, the Rockford Center, the PAWS for Reading program and Nemours Children’s Hospital. They have brought joy to adults at Somerford Place, Baylor Correctional Facility, Season’s Hospice, Aquila Drug & Alcohol rehab, and the PAWS to Comfort program.
This Advanced team achieved their Master’s Level Certification in August of 2015. Tawanda and Gibbs also participate in countless community events.Tawanda’s support of PAWS does not stop there. She became a new team trainer in April of 2016 and she is a First Visit Assistant and an Intake Caller.
Thank you, Tawanda and Gibbs, for your never-ending support of PAWS and the kindness and compassion you bring to every visit. Your visits have brought happiness, joy and laughter (if they were lucky enough to hear Mr. Gibbs snore) to all you meet.
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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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